2017-17 All Way Stop at W Prairie Avenue and N Edward Street

Home Browse Search

Excerpts of the February 23, 2018 4:00pm Traffic and Parking Commission Meeting Item #3 Request for four way stop at North Edward Street and its intersection with West Prairie Avenue. A concerned resident contacting City staff after observing numerous accidents at the intersection of North Edward Street and West Prairie Avenue. The intersection currently has a pair of stop signs facing Prairie Avenue. Upon looking at accident records it was found that there have been nine recorded accidents at this intersection within the last three years. All of which resulted from drivers either disobeying the stop signs, confusion about it not being a four-way stop, and misjudging gaps needed to cross the intersection. Upon observation from staff it was not uncommon to see vehicles on Edward Street either slow down or come to a stop thinking the intersection was a four-way stop. Traffic counts were performed and found a total of 1599 vehicles entering the intersection per day with 1114 of them on N. Edward Street and 485 of them on W. Prairie Avenue. The accident rate at this intersection is 5.14 accidents per million vehicles entering the intersection. Typically the Traffic and Parking Commission looks for accident rates above 1.5 accidents per million vehicles entering the intersection to determine if corrective action is needed. Despite the traffic volume along Prairie being nearly half that of Edward it seems traffic behaves as if the two streets seem equal. The high accident rate is also reason to try further traffic control at this intersection. For these reasons City Staff recommends installing stop signs facing N. Edward Street making the intersection of N. Edward Street and W. Prairie Avenue a four-way stop. City staff recommends four way stop at North Edward Street at its intersection with West Prairie Avenue. Matt Newell motioned to move forward with four way stop at North Edward Street at its intersection with West Prairie Avenue. Seconded by Ed Hurst, and on call of the roll, Commission Members Broderick,Newell, Hurst, Meador and Stewart voted aye. The chairman declared the motion carried.