Rail road crossing stop signs on 15th Street SW not authorized

MASON CITY – This August, the Iowa Traction Railroad installed stop signs at the railroad crossing on 15th Street SW.

The Iowa Traction Railroad did not have authorization from the City of Mason City, specifically the Mason City City Council, to install stop signs at this railroad crossing. Regulatory signs, like stop signs, are posted only after approval and passage of an ordinance by the City Council.

NorthIowaToday.com spoke to Mike McKelvey at the Mason City Police Department about the stop sign at 15th Street SW (pictured at top). Officer McKelvey told us that the railroad had “no authorization or permission” to install the stop signs. Further, he explained that “police would not enforce the stop signs” since they were not properly authorized by the City Council.

The railroads installing stop signs arbitrarily flies in the face of the course of action a regular citizen must go through in order to get a stop sign installed.

Jason Uhlmann, a resident of Mason City on 1st Street NW, has been lobbying for a stop sign on his street for over a year. When told about the stop signs the railroad installed on 15th St. SW, Mr. Uhlmann said “I never drive that way so I didn’t know about it. But, it seems wrong that they installed them without going through the process like the rest of us have to.”