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On Feb. 24, 1999, President Chuck Epes, Former President for Life Holly Anna Jones, Team A Captains Winnie Cobb and Diana Presson, and Yr. Kindly Webmaster met at City Hall with Councilman Bill Johnson, Diane Linderman of Public Works, and Ralph Rhudy of Traffic Engineering.
We learned that the traffic professionals don't think much of four-way stop signs. They say that folks just roll the signs and put the pedal to the metal, with the result that you still get the speed and add to it the stop sign running. Mr. Rhudy said it just leads to demonstrated disdain for the stop sign laws. We were skeptical. Most of us have driven up 42d street, where all the stop sign scofflawery in the world won't change the fact that you can't go very fast in one block. All in all, we'd prefer stop sign scofflawery to speed limit scofflawery. They replied that the 42d street signs are to cut down cut through traffic (which they do) but not speeding.
Mr. Rhudy was proud of his new pedestal stop lights at Bellevue and Brook. He said they will cut down on accidents. We all were glad about that, but we had come to talk about speeding, and the threats to our children (well, all right, grandchildren) and pets, not about fender-benders at Bellevue and Brook.
Ms. Linderman and Mr. Rhudy said that the most effective traffic calming technique is "chokers," i.e., features that squeeze the traffic, or otherwise break up the clean sight lines that so encourage speeding on streets such as Bellevue Av.
In any event, they said, and we agreed, that a general solution to the Bellevue problems will take a study of the whole neighborhood, with Public Works, Fire, Police, and the neighborhood looking at the situation together.
Mr. Rhudy had driven through Bellevue in preparation for the meeting, and he remarked that the "25" signs at each end of the avenue are too close to the ends. The driver making the turn is past the signs before he has attention to spare for signs. In particular, nobody driving through the business area in the 1200 block has attention to spare for the sign there.
Councilman Johnson, whom we are learning to like more and more, confessed to being ticketed in the recent traffic survey on Bellevue Avenue. He joined the chorus in singing the need to break up Bellevue in a way that takes away the sense of open road to speed upon. He also joined the consensus that we need to study the situation before jumping in. In the meantime, he shared our view that the City can take some immediate steps.
At the end of the discussion, we all agreed that the City will reposition the Bellevue Ave. "25" signs and add another pair. They will install a four-way stop sign on Fauquier, probably at Claremont. They will look at Bellevue Ave. and if a week's study does not reveal any problems, they will place a four-way stop at Bellevue and Fauquier.
In the meantime, they will put out the machines to count speed and numbers, especially on Bellevue and Fauquier.
We all will meet in about three weeks to review the data and discuss where we go from here.
If you see Bill Johnson, please thank him for his vigorous support. In the meantime, if you would like to work on this important problem, please call Chuck Epes.
NOTE: During the week of March 19 the city installed the promised signs.
NOTE: They distorted the data to deny that the signs were effective.
Last updated 02/24/02
Please send questions or comments to John Butcher