City Infrastructure & Services

Traffic (31 Responses)

• Need:

o More street lines, street lights, stop signs and speed limit signs
o Higher fines
o More efficient freeway system
o Bridge over river at 35th and 39th Streets
o Safe cross walks at Grand and Ashworth

• Address growing congestion, speeding, large number of SUVs
• Widen 50th Street

Collaboration (26 Responses)

Needs and Opportunities (19)

• Coordinate services regionally
• Consolidate city and school district services
• Form partnerships between cities and businesses
• Interact more with Des Moines
• Foster interconnectivity and broader sense of belonging
• Link bike/pedestrian trails metro wide
• Pool financial resources for community good
• Offer more support from suburbs (West Des Moines) for Des Moines cultural organizations
• Help Des Moines with tax base problems
• Caution: collaboration may lower services for West Des Moines residents who are willing to pay for them

Fragmentation (7)

• Increase support for metro attractions (suburbs building their “own”)
• Address:

o Lack of comprehensive planning among metro cities
o Diverse methods of resource management hinder county consolidation
o Polk and Dallas county differences

Growth (24 Responses)

Growing Pains (20)

• Address problems with growing too fast:

o Services and infrastructure can’t keep up
o Over-development has increased population density
o Not meeting needs of “current” residents
o Too competitive rather than cooperative with other communities
o Diminishing city and school funds hinder keeping up with growth

• Need technology to help us work effectively
• Need a plan for community development in Clive
• Address effects of Jordan Creek Mall on Valley West

Fragmentation (4)

• Valley Junction, mall and city campus create fragmentation
• Lack of true town center
• No universal design standards
• School boundaries divide neighborhoods

Public Transportation (19 Responses)

• Need night and weekend bus service, longer hours for buses serving persons with disabilities, wheelchair accessibility
• Need “mass” transportation: kids can’t get to after-school activities
• Persons with disabilities can’t get around
• Persons with low income or disabilities don’t move here
• Too much single-car traffic

Housing (14 Responses)

• Need:

o Affordable housing
o More homes
o Less restrictive codes
o Fewer apartments
o Less subsidized housing
o Better upkeep

City Services (10 Responses)

• Keep waterworks independent
• Need lighting in parks
• Need more crossing guards
• Need to address: lost mail, harassment by police, bad tasting West Des Moines water