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Consideration of request from Engineering Division to install stop signs on the 120th Street approaches to Vliet Street, the 121st Street approaches to Vliet Street, the 123rd Street approaches to Vliet Street, the Cherry Street approaches to 123rd Street, the Elmhurst Parkway approaches to 117th Street, and 121st Street approaches to Elmhurst Parkway
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Submitted by:
Michael May, PE, PTOE, RSP1
Department:
DPW - Engineering
A. Issue
Visual obstructions may block lines of sight and may not allow a road user to yield or stop in compliance with the normal right-of-way rule.
B. Background/Options
The City has adopted a policy that follows national standards related to the installation of yield and stop signs. The policy allows residents to request consideration for stop signs when they believe a condition, as described in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), has been met. Staff received a request to determine if stop control is appropriate at the following intersections and analyzed if such traffic control is warranted:
• 120th Street & Vliet Street (no existing control)
• 121st Street & Vliet Street (existing yield control)
• 123rd Street & Vliet Street (no existing control)
• 123rd Street & Cherry Street (no existing control)
• 117th Street & Elmhurst Parkway (no existing control)
• 121st Street & Elmhurst Parkway (no existing control)
The warrants for two-way stop control are outlined below.
• Traffic Volumes: The combined volume of all vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle volume entering from all approaches averages more than 2,000 units per day. This warrant was not analyzed.
• Vision Issue(s): Ability to see conflicting traffic on an approach is not sufficient to allow a road user to yield or stop in compliance with the normal right-of-way rule.
o 120th Street & Vliet Street: The location of the house and a hill in the southwest corner blocks adequate lines of sight.
o 121st Street & Vliet Street: The location of houses in the northeast and southeast corners and of a hill in the southeast corner blocks adequate lines of sight.
o 123rd Street & Vliet Street: The location of the house in the southeast corner and of a hill in the southwest corner blocks adequate lines of sight.
o 123rd Street & Cherry Street: The location of houses in the northeast and southwest corners blocks adequate lines of sight.
o 117th Street & Elmhurst Parkway: The location of houses in all four corners blocks adequate lines of sight.
o 121st Street & Elmhurst Parkway: No line-of-sight obstructions.
• Crashes: The intersection has 3+ crashes over a two-year period or 5+ crashes in a three-year period susceptible to correction by yield or two-way stop. Based on an analysis of intersection crashes for the three-year period of January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2023:
o 120th Street & Vliet Street: No crashes occurred.
o 121st Street & Vliet Street: No crashes occurred.
o 123rd Street & Vliet Street: One angle crash occurred within the study period. The crash involved northbound vs. eastbound motorists.
o 123rd Street & Cherry Street: No crashes occurred.
o 117th Street & Elmhurst Parkway: No crashes occurred.
o 121st Street & Elmhurst Parkway: No crashes occurred.
Two-way stop control is warranted and necessary for motorists to properly see conflicting traffic at all but the 121st Street & Elmhurst Parkway intersection. That is, stop control is not warranted at 121st Street & Elmhurst Parkway. The installation of the other five stop-controlled intersections would result in all intersections having stop control in the neighborhood from Watertown Plank Road to Walnut Road and from 116th Street to 124th Street except for 121st Street & Elmhurst Parkway. Driver expectation within this neighborhood would be for all intersections to have stop control. Therefore, using engineering judgement for safe operations within the neighborhood, stop control should be installed at 121st Street & Elmhurst Parkway.
Staff recommends installing stop control as follows.
• On the 120th Street approaches to Vliet Street
• On the 121st Street approaches to Vliet Street (replacing existing yield control)
• On the 123rd Street approaches to Vliet Street
• On the Cherry Street approaches to 123rd Street
• On the Elmhurst Parkway approaches to 117th Street
• On the 121st Street approaches to Elmhurst Parkway
C. Strategic Plan (Area of Focus)
Priority 2: Public Safety, Goal 2. Proactively address pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular safety
D. Fiscal Impact
Minor expenses for the in-house creation and installation of signs. The existing sign budget will
accommodate these expenses.
E. Recommendation
Approve the installation of stop signs on the 120th Street approaches to Vliet Street, the 121st Street approaches to Vliet Street, the 123rd Street approaches to Vliet Street, the Cherry Street approaches to 123rd Street, the Elmhurst Parkway approaches to 117th Street, and 121st Street approaches to Elmhurst Parkway