99-74 ESTABLISHING STOP INTERSECTIONS - HENDERSON AVENUE AND SILAS STREET - ILLINOIS STREET AND HENDERSON AVENUE

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, . ^ - EXCERPTS FROM MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE TRAFFIC AND PARKING COMMISSION Wednesday, May 12, 1999 ITEM#2 Request for stop signs at the intersections of Henderson/ Silas and Henderson/ Illinois. Matthew Newell advised that he received the petition that was included in the Agenda regarding concerns about traffic accidents at the intersections of Henderson/ Silas and Henderson/Illinois. Staff reviewed the accidents that occurred at both intersections and recorded the volumes and traffic speeds which are identified on the map in the Agenda. There have been five accidents at the Henderson/ Silas intersection over a period of three years, for a rate of 7.8 accidents per one million vehicles entering the intersection, which is significantly higher than the 1.5 accidents per million normally expected for an intersection in a residential neighborhood. Henderson/ Illinois had four accidents over the past three years, which is 8.1 accidents per one million vehicles, again significantly high. Staff recommends the installation of stop signs at Henderson / Silas facing Henderson and Henderson/Illinois facing Illinois. Nordholm noted that stop signs facing Silas would make Henderson a through street. Traffic stops at one intersection, goes through the next and stops at the third. He believes it would make more sense to make Henderson a through street. Newell is of the belief that the residents would want Henderson to stop at both intersections. There were 325 vehicles using Silas at the Henderson/ Silas intersection and 260 vehicles using Henderson. Silas has the higher volume. Placing the signs as recommended breaks things up a little bit. Newell does not believe any street in this area is the predominant street when volumes are compared. One of those streets does not need to be assigned to be the dominant street by having the stop signs placed to make Henderson a through street. Police Commander Richard Ryan agrees that it should be broken up in this way. There is nothing to be gained by making Henderson a through street. Donna Spangler agrees with the recommendation. I Ron Ballard would like to hear from the neighborhood residents. He has been in touch with Rich I and Pam Benedict on the matter. � Richard Benedict, 965 East Henderson, hopes the stop signs are approved. On the south side of I� Silas off of Henderson, there are two blind spots, and he thinks there would be better visibility if I Henderson traffic would stop at Silas. There are also a lot of cars parked on the side of the street � which causes visibility problems. '