Marquee sign welcomes visitors to Riverside

The Riverside Visioning Committee met Thursday at the Riverside City Hall where it received an update on the new marquee sign southwest of the intersection of Highways 218 and 22. Committee member Jim Leyden announced that the electronic sign had been turned on Tuesday and that it was now visible at night.

The sign displays the time of day and the temperature in Fahrenheit. It is also capable of displaying messages, although the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) limits what can be displayed.

Eileen Buchanan, a DOT ?right of way? agent, wrote an e-mail to Riverside City Clerk Missy Carter in which she specified what activities could be mentioned on the sign. The groups whose activities cannot be listed include service clubs, churches and businesses.

?This cannot become an advertising device for service clubs or churches,? Buchanan wrote.

However, city-sponsored functions such as the citywide garage sale can be shown on the sign. Public school functions can also be shown since activities of a public agency are allowed.

The committee members wondered aloud whether TrekFest could be advertised on the sign since the city has agreed to pay for some TrekFest expenses such as law enforcement. The members agreed that they could advertise the TrekFest fireworks on the sign since the city pays for those.

Chapter 117 of the Iowa Code states that municipal, county or school district recognition signs are limited to displaying ?a message that identifies the city, county or school district and its boundaries, public services, and noncommercial attractions of a scenic, historical, cultural, scientific, educational or recreational nature that are located therein.?

The content of the sign is controlled by a computer at city hall. However, the committee members are still working out the kinks in communicating with the sign from city hall. So far, no messages have been displayed apart from the time and temperature.

The sign is lighted using LED lights (light emitting diodes). It has a brick base 7 feet wide and about 12 feet tall, above which is the screen that can display animated messages in color. The screen is nearly 2.5 feet tall and just over 9 feet wide. Above the screen is a larger sign which reads ?Riverside Welcomes You!? That sign is just over 5 feet tall and 16 feet wide. The words are in white against a black backdrop, with wavy blue lines running horizontally behind the word ?Riverside.? The top of the sign is 20 feet off the ground.

The committee also talked about putting solar panels on its brick welcome sign northeast of the intersection of Highways 218 and 22. Leyden said the solar panels would be used to power a spotlight which would make the sign visible at night.

Leyden said that since Phase I of the Riverside Trail is complete, the committee should begin making plans to complete Phase II. The trail is 1.9 miles long and runs along the south side of town in what was once a bed for the railroad tracks. Phase II would extend the trail to Vine Avenue and run along Highway 22 where it crosses Highway 218. He said the trail would be on the south side of Highway 22 and would be slightly raised from the rest of the pavement.

Leyden said that the completion of Phase II would bring many more bicycles to town. He said many cyclists ride on Vine Avenue but turn around when they get to Highway 22. Committee member Mary Jane Stumpf said that many cyclists visited Riverside before Highway 22 became so busy.

?Bicyclists from Iowa City will go on a 30 to 60 mile loop on Vine Avenue,? Stumpf said.

Leyden said he informed some of the cyclists that Riverside now has a trail on the east side of town and that the cyclists were excited to try it out. Stumpf said she is impressed at how much the trail is used. She said she uses it three times per week and has met someone on the trail every time.