Traffic commission votes to place engine-braking prohibition signs on Kercher Road, asks Board of Works to urge INDOT to install signs on State Road 15
May 22, 2026 | Goshen City, Elkhart County, Indiana
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The Goshen City Traffic Commission on May 21 recommended new signage aimed at reducing heavy-vehicle engine braking in residential areas and moved to seek state placement at two State Road 15 locations.
Engineering staff said the department received a request from Paul Staler on April 1, 2026, to add engine-braking–prohibited signs on State Road 15/Main Street between Mil Street and Johnson Street and a second request from Linda Gerber on April 13, 2026, for a sign at South Main Street and Kercher Road. Staff provided maps and cited the Goshen City code that references engine braking.
Commissioners debated enforcement and placement. Staff said signs “are a piece of the enforcement” but that enforcement typically requires targeted observation or resources such as a police presence to substantiate violations. Members recalled a previous sign near the Bethany school and discussed whether existing posts could be reused to avoid new poles.
One member urged broader design changes — rumble strips, narrower lanes or tree plantings — that could slow heavy vehicles before they reach the downhill stretch, but others warned narrowing a major through‑route could create bottlenecks and increase idling on State Road 15.
A motion to install city ordinance engine-braking–prohibited signs on Kercher Road (including a flashing-curve sign on the bridge and the other locations shown on the map) was made and seconded; the motion carried with one recorded opposition. The commission then moved to recommend that the Board of Works request INDOT place city-ordinance engine-braking–prohibited signs at the two State Road 15/Main Street locations shown in the packet; that recommendation also carried.
The commission noted that local placement on Kercher Road could be completed by the city streets department, while installation on State Road 15 would require INDOT review and approval. Officer Kaufman was named an alternate police representative for the commission and became eligible to vote in the event of a future tie.
The commission did not set an enforcement plan at the meeting and emphasized that signage alone does not guarantee enforcement without police resources or targeted enforcement efforts.
Engineering staff said the department received a request from Paul Staler on April 1, 2026, to add engine-braking–prohibited signs on State Road 15/Main Street between Mil Street and Johnson Street and a second request from Linda Gerber on April 13, 2026, for a sign at South Main Street and Kercher Road. Staff provided maps and cited the Goshen City code that references engine braking.
Commissioners debated enforcement and placement. Staff said signs “are a piece of the enforcement” but that enforcement typically requires targeted observation or resources such as a police presence to substantiate violations. Members recalled a previous sign near the Bethany school and discussed whether existing posts could be reused to avoid new poles.
One member urged broader design changes — rumble strips, narrower lanes or tree plantings — that could slow heavy vehicles before they reach the downhill stretch, but others warned narrowing a major through‑route could create bottlenecks and increase idling on State Road 15.
A motion to install city ordinance engine-braking–prohibited signs on Kercher Road (including a flashing-curve sign on the bridge and the other locations shown on the map) was made and seconded; the motion carried with one recorded opposition. The commission then moved to recommend that the Board of Works request INDOT place city-ordinance engine-braking–prohibited signs at the two State Road 15/Main Street locations shown in the packet; that recommendation also carried.
The commission noted that local placement on Kercher Road could be completed by the city streets department, while installation on State Road 15 would require INDOT review and approval. Officer Kaufman was named an alternate police representative for the commission and became eligible to vote in the event of a future tie.
The commission did not set an enforcement plan at the meeting and emphasized that signage alone does not guarantee enforcement without police resources or targeted enforcement efforts.
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