Transportation Commission Declines to Recommend Three Stop Signs
In a session that veered between contentious and acrimonious, the East Lansing Transportation Commission at its Oct. 20 meeting declined to recommend the installation of stop signs to City Council, citing traffic studies conducted by consultant Fishbeck.
The commission voted against recommending stop signs be installed at three East Lansing intersections: Rosewood and Southlawn Avenues in the Glencairn neighborhood, Snyder Road and John R Street, and Linden Street and Wayland Avenue, both in South Marble. The stop signs will still go to City Council for a vote later on.
Residents in attendance were quick to express their frustration at the traffic studies and the commission’s recommendations, saying they have seen dangerous conditions created by traffic in the areas stop signs are proposed.
ELi reported earlier this month about residents campaigning for new signage in areas with traffic that they say is dangerous to children walking in the area.
“It appears that the approach to these studies has not effectively captured residents’ lived experiences or address persistent concerns about traffic safety,” Carissa Buchholz said before any decisions had been made. “Significant financial resources continue to be devoted to studies when some issues, such as converting a yield sign to a stop sign could be addressed through relatively simple measures.”
The traffic studies based recommendations on several factors, including whether the “vehicular traffic volumes on the through street exceed 6,000 per day,” any restricted views and crash histories. The study also indicates a professional standard established by the Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MMUTCD), the body that governs placement of stop signs and other traffic control measures, indicating that “less-restrictive measures” should be considered.
Despite opposing the stop signs, several commissioners said they would like to see the city work to find alternative solutions.
“I see why stop signs won’t work but I’m frustrated why no other options [were] offered to residents,” Commissioner Adan Quan said.
City staff is open to seeking solutions other than stop signs. Director of Public Works Ron Lacasse said that his operations team is looking at the purchase of temporary measures such as speed humps and curb bump ups, both low-cost and easy installation/removal alternatives.
But Lacasse stressed patience.
“At the end of the day, we’re three engineers,” Lacasse said when he took the podium to answer questions. “Our whole engineering department is three engineers.”
With each refusal to recommend the stop signs, the assembled audience grew more frustrated, several compared their South Marble neighborhood to the more affluent Whitehills.
“Remove stop signs and four-way stops from the Bailey neighborhood,” resident Gary Mescher said before turning his ire to City Councilmember Erik Altmann in the audience. “And I look forward to removing the stop signs, Erik, in the Bailey neighborhood. I don’t think that’ll affect you. Everything will be fine.”
Anthony Sanzica was more blunt.
“Is it because we’re like the middle-class neighborhood?” he asked “The houses are kind of run down? [Is that why] we don’t get [stop signs] but the other neighborhoods have $500,000 houses [so] they get stop signs? Our kids don’t matter?
“I mean that sucks.”
The final decision lies with the City Council, which will address the stop signs at a future meeting, with many in attendance vowing to continue their advocacy for the stop signs.
Correction: A name misspelling was corrected in this story.