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City of Lincoln
Residents push for safer North Elm Street during Lincoln City
Council meeting
[May 21, 2026]
All members of the Lincoln City
Council were present for the regular meeting held May 18 at Lincoln
City Hall. The meeting included approval of major bond funding for
the Fifth Street Road project, discussion surrounding the future
redevelopment of the former Lincoln College campus, and continued
debate over traffic concerns on North Elm Street.
Before agenda items began, several residents addressed the council
during public participation regarding the proposed traffic changes
on North Elm Street between Eighth and 10th streets. Residents
living in the area urged the council to prioritize pedestrian safety
due to speeding concerns, narrow roadway conditions and increasing
foot traffic from families and children.
Bill Wilson, who lives near the affected section of North Elm, told
the council the roadway’s narrowness creates dangerous driving
conditions.
“We do need it 20 miles an hour there,” Wilson said. “We do need it
one way.”
Wilson also advocated for additional stop signs at Ninth and 10th
streets, arguing the current layout creates blind spots and near
accidents.
Alderman Kevin Bateman said he supported reducing the speed limit
and adding stop signs but opposed converting the roadway into a
one-way street.
“My thinking of that is people get
complacent,” Bateman said. “If you put a stop sign in there, just
that momentarily stop, you're going to look forward because you
don't want to hit somebody.”
Resident Joanna Wilson described witnessing a child nearly struck by
a vehicle while riding a scooter near the roadway.
“This is safety,” she told the council. “We're going to end up with
a lawsuit of an injured person, or worse yet, a fatality.”
Lincoln Police Chief Joe Meister reiterated recommendations first
discussed during the previous Committee of the Whole meeting.
Meister recommended reducing the speed limit to 20 mph between
Eighth and 10th streets and reducing the remainder of North Elm
north of 10th Street to 25 mph. He also presented the option of
converting the narrow section into a one-way northbound street.
Meister cautioned council members that stop signs and speed limits
alone would not completely solve the issue.
“Regulatory signs are ignored, stop signs people don't stop at,”
Meister said. “You can change the speed limit, it's just going to
increase the fines.”
Street Superintendent Walt Landers also expressed concern about
placing stop signs at the offset intersection due to visibility and
roadway layout issues.
The council moved through the agenda and approved an ordinance
authorizing up to $8.25 million in general obligation bonds
connected to the Fifth Street Road reconstruction project. The
measure passed unanimously following brief discussion.
Another major topic involved the rezoning request for 300 Keokuk
Street and surrounding Lincoln College properties. During public
participation, former Lincoln Planning Commission member Vic
Martinek encouraged council members to support redevelopment efforts
connected to the former college campus.
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“The only thing we
know for certain is that very soon the college will no longer
exist,” Martinek said. “Mr. Houston has presented a vision for
improving our city.”
The rezoning ordinance would allow portions of the former campus
to be converted into apartments and open additional
redevelopment opportunities for the property. The council
approved the rezoning request during the meeting.
Council members also approved several additional ordinances and
agreements, including updated speed limits on North Elm Street,
amendments to the city code regulating swimming pool fencing,
and a fiscal year 2026-2027 wastewater services agreement with
Veolia valued at approximately $136,582.95.
Discussion surrounding the North Elm traffic changes continued
throughout the meeting as council members debated whether
additional stop signs should be installed near the narrow
stretch of roadway. Several aldermen supported adding stop signs
at Ninth and 10th streets, while others voiced concern about
creating unnecessary traffic controls throughout the city.
Alderman Rhonda O’Donoghue said residents frequently request
stop signs in their neighborhoods and cautioned against
overusing them.
“Everybody wants a stop sign,” O’Donoghue said. “Everybody wants
a stop sign in their neighborhood.”
Chief Joe Meister responded that placement decisions are guided
by federal traffic recommendations used by both the police
department and Street Superintendent Walt Landers.
“I think you bring up an excellent point,” Meister said. “That’s
why Street Superintendent Landers and I use recommended
guidelines from, I think it’s from the federal government, when
deciding or providing advice to you all who make the decision on
where we’re going to place stop and yield signs.”
Landers also expressed concern about placing stop signs at the
offset intersection near 10th Street because of the roadway’s
unusual layout.
“I would be concerned placing a stop sign at Elm and 10th
Street, just because of the layout of the intersection,” Landers
said. “The offset is so much.”
After some confusion and lengthy discussion, the council
approved reducing the speed limit to 20 mph between Eighth and
10th streets and to 25 mph on North Elm north of 10th up to
Woodlawn. The ordinance also establishes a one-way northbound
segment between Eighth and 10th and directs city staff to add
stop control at the offset intersection of 10th and Elm,
configured as a three-way stop.
The council also approved Lincoln Speedway guidelines ahead of
the upcoming racing season.
[Sophia Larimore]
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