New Stop Signs at Linden Street/Circle Intersection
By Scott Johnson
LOCK HAVEN – Emergency stop signs are coming at the intersection of Linden Street and Linden Circle, while two other intersections in the Hill District will see more-detailed studies of the feasibility of additional stop signs there. Meanwhile, a study of the use of stop signs in that entire district will be investigated.
City Council came to an agreement of these items at its meeting Monday night. The Linden Street/Circle intersection was first broached at council’s last meeting two weeks ago by council member Bill Mincer, along with the Linden Street-Second Avenue and South Highland-West Walnut streets intersections.
A preliminary study by city Public Works Director Tony Stopper concluded the Linden Street/Circle stop signs meet all criteria, while the other two intersections were questionable for stop signs.
Specifically, Stopper said the intersection at Linden Street and Second Avenue does have a concern that vehicles must enter the intersection to see traffic on Second Avenue going up or down the hill. However, the intersection’s traffic does not warrant a multi-way stop, does not make the criteria of five or more crashes in a 12-month period, and has a 14.4 percent grade, higher than the recommended grade of 12 percent or lower for stop signs.
He noted, however, that there are other criteria that can potentially be met in an engineering study. Until that study is compete, Stopper said a proposed solution is to newly-paint the stop bars at each street along Linden Street and add a yellow dashed line to keep traffic in their respective lane and/or remove a large tree there and install yield signs.
Regarding Walnut/South Highland streets intersection, Stopper said the concern regards speeding vehicles. However, he said, studies show adding stop signs actually “increase speeding as vehicular traffic ‘race’ from stop sign to stop sign to get to their destinations.” Stopper added a further engineering study would count the number of pedestrians and vehicles at this intersection could make it meet the criteria of vehicular/pedestrian conflict concerns.
”If something’s not broke, why fix it?” Council member Steve Stevenson said. Meanwhile, Council member Rick Conklin supports a study of the entire Hill District. “A study is worthwhile,” he said. Just because that’s the way it has been for years doesn’t mean it’s the appropriate way.”
In another traffic/sign issue, council unanimously agreed to allow First Quality to install signs on both the north- and south-bound exits from Paul Mack Boulevard onto Walnut Street to direct arriving trucks to the new First Quality truck entrance/exit near Hanna Street.
