WAVERLY - A traffic signal at West Bremer Avenue and Sixth Street reportedly has a mind of its own, frustrating motorists along the city's main east-west corridor.

Officials are considering removing the fickle light as part of a series of traffic signal modifications and improvements planned for Bremer Avenue.

Council members on Monday reviewed the project, which could cost more than $690,000. Of that amount, $580,000 is federal economic stimulus dollars.

Signals along Bremer Avenue operate on a timed system, according to City Engineer Mike Cherry. Eliminating needless stops and starts will save an estimated $135,000 annually in fuel, according to traffic studies.

"The new controllers will have enhanced features allowing the system to be responsive to the volume of traffic on Bremer Avenue and the side streets," Cherry said.

The city's existing system along Bremer Avenue is antiquated, which makes getting replacement parts difficult, City Administrator Dick Crayne said. Beyond that, planned improvements include a feature that controls lights to allow emergency vehicles to pass more easily.

Officials estimate use of the Sixth Street light will drop off once a new middle school is built in southwest Waverly. Up to 60 students currently use the light to get from the junior high in northwest Waverly to the high school in southwest. The light also served students going to and from Washington Irving Elementary, which officials closed after the flood in 2008.

Some council members and residents at Monday's meeting worried removing the traffic signal would endanger children, especially if the light disappears before the new school is finished. Others reasoned students could use the traffic signal at West Bremer Avenue and Fourth Street, which is two blocks away.

If the city decides to remove the light, Cherry suggested the school district could add bus stops to reduce the number of students crossing Bremer Avenue.

Council members will set a public hearing for the project. Most of the work would be done next year over a three-month period.

Plans also call for removing a signal at Fourth Street and Second Avenue Southwest.