Iola’s efforts to make its streets safer has drawn the attention of AAA.
The American Automobile Association presented Iola Police Chief Jared Warner with the AAA’s highly coveted Platinum Award.
The presentation came at the start of the city’s regular City Council meeting. While the meeting could not be held because not enough members showed up — (see related story) — it did not prevent James Hanni from lauding the city’s ability to make it safer to cross the street in Iola.
Hanni, AAA spokesman, said the award recognized a number of recent city projects dealing with traffic enforcement, education and engineering.
As for education, Hanni noted the Iola Police Department works regularly with USD 257 through its SAFE BASE safety talks, programs at Iola High School, Red Ribbon Week, an information booth at the Allen County Fair and a coloring contest.
Hanni noted IPD has stepped up highly visible enforcement campaigns, from “Click It Or Ticket” to saturation patrols to identify impaired drivers.
Iola’s Street and Alley Department, meanwhile, takes center stage when discussing the city’s engineering projects, from developing a new pedestrian sidewalk along North State Street, extension of the Missouri Pacific Trail for walkers across town and putting bike lane markings in city streets.
This marks the fourth consecutive year Iola has been honored by AAA.
In the previous three years, Iola received the Gold Award.
“The Platinum Award is the highest level of award that AAA provides any community,” Hanni said.
Eight communities in Kansas received the Platinum Award this year, Hanni said.
Warner lauded all of Iola’s departments who took part, as well as assistance from Thrive Allen County in getting the bike lanes marked.
STATISTICS prove Hanni’s contention that Iola’s streets are safer.
Over the past five years, alcohol arrests have dropped from 61 a year to 27 annually over the past five years. Alcohol-related crashes have decreased from seven to two, and teen crashes have dropped from 22 to eight in the same period.
Seat belt tickets, meanwhile, have skyrocketed from 17 a year in 2010 to 121 in the same period in 2015.
