New Residential Stop Sign Policy

Adopted on January 10, 2008

CITY OF RICHFIELD

NEW RESIDENTIAL STOP SIGN POLICY

FOR TWO-WAY STOP SIGNS

Purpose:  The purpose of the residential stop sign policy is to provide fair and uniform treatment of stop signs in residential areas by the Richfield Traffic Control Committee.  This policy differs from the current policy in that it is proactive and provides for safer transportation within the City by assigning right of way at all residential intersections

1.      Two-way stop signs will be installed on all residential streets in such a way as to create sub-collector[1] streets. The new policy may take several years to implement. Studies in Richfield and elsewhere have shown that:

• Stop-controlled residential intersections have reduced crash rates.
• Existing sub-collectors have substantially lower crash rates while maintaining comparable speeds.
• Sub-collectors avoid the added noise and air pollution associated with basket weave stop signs.
• Stop signs do not control speeding beyond 200 feet of the stop sign.

2.      Uncontrolled intersections will be converted to two-way stop control on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis.

3.      The placement of stop signs will create sub-collector streets by controlling traffic on all the cross streets. In most cases, east-west streets will not have stop signs while north-south streets will be controlled by two-way stop signs.  This arrangement will discourage drivers from using the local residential roadways, where the majority of houses front, as through streets.

4.      The Engineering staff will prepare a stop sign plan for each neighborhood.  The plan will be submitted to the neighborhood for review and comment before sign installation begins. Modifications to the sub-collector pattern may be made to accommodate bike routes, school bus routes and other relevant factors.

5.      The Transportation Commission will review all staff requests for stop sign removal and make recommendations to the City Council.  As in the previous policy, the City Council will remain responsible for the removal of stop signs.

6.      The previous stop sign policy will remain in effect for a neighborhood until it is converted to the new policy. Neighborhoods will be considered for stop signs based on boundaries shown on the attached map.

7.      The area north of the Best Buy Campus will remain in a Basket Weave stop sign pattern. This neighborhood is bounded by 76th Street, Penn Avenue, 66th Street and 35W.

[1] Sub-collector ? the sub-collector classification of roadway is designated to distribute traffic from the minor arterials and collector streets to the local residential roadways where the majority of houses face.  Conversely, sub-collectors connect the smaller access streets and residences to the higher volume streets while discouraging traffic from traveling long distances on the local residential roadways.