Street Signs FAQs

Among the many requests for signs and markings installations, the Transportation Operations Division receives numerous requests for the installation of stop signs. Each request is studied to determine whether or not installing a stop sign is the appropriate safety measure.

We have found that most stop sign requests are generated by citizens with a genuine concern for traffic and pedestrian safety who believe that the installation of stop signs would solve many traffic safety problems.

Unfortunately, the solution to some of these traffic safety problems is not always that simple. In some cases, the installation of stop signs may create a situation that is more of a problem than already exists. In these cases, other solutions may be more feasible.

When stop signs are installed where the need to control right-of-way is questionable, there would be an increase in traffic delay and congestion with little or no gain in safety. In fact, safety is sometimes reduced. The number of rear-end accidents sometimes increases and pedestrian accidents may increase because of a false sense of security provided by the stop sign. Excessive use of stop signs tends to frustrate and anger motorists, who may divert to less suitable streets. If the motorist consistently observes that the cross street traffic is light or non-existent, the stop sign's installation will be questioned by the motorist, and he/she will frequently roll through or run the stop sign, thus reducing the credibility of stop signs. In some cases, this can occur up to 25% of the time.

Although the physical installation of a stop sign is relatively inexpensive, studies have shown that there are "associated" costs involved which must also be considered:

• The sign must be maintained after installation.
• Extra fuel is consumed when vehicles stop (or slow down) and then re-accelerate-24 hours per day, whether or not any other vehicles are present. This extra fuel consumption may appear to be insignificant until we consider the millions of vehicles each year that will be affected by the stop sign.
• Extra fuel consumption also leads to increased air pollution - especially in the immediate vicinity of the sign. Stopping 5,000 vehicles per day generates 15 tons of additional pollutants per year.
• Extra mechanical wear to the millions of vehicles each year that will have to brake to a stop, and then re-accelerate at this location.
• Residents living adjacent to the stop sign locations also experience increased noise pollution caused by vehicles constantly shifting into lower gears and accelerating from a stop sign.

• Accident history at that intersection
• Visibility conditions
• Vehicular and pedestrian conflicts
• Unusual condition i.e., Any facility that generates an unusually high concentration of traffic volume of vehicles and/or pedestrians;
• regular use of the intersection by school age children, elderly or handicapped pedestrians;
• speeding motorists;
• unique geometrics;
• Visible signs of potential traffic problems, e.g., skid marks, evidence of fixed object collisions.

There may be alternative solutions to the problem at your intersection. Trees or bushes can be trimmed or parking restrictions can be installed near the intersection to help increase visibility. It is the owner's responsibility to trim any privately-owned shrubbery obstructing any public signs. Police enforcement can improve safety. Installation of Interactive Radar Speed Display signs may prove to be an effective solution too.

Generally, the best ways to insure traffic safety are to educate motorists and pedestrians to be cautious at all times and to enforce traffic laws.

MUTCD: Multi-Way Stop Sign Applications
Chapter 2B. Regulatory Signs
"Section 2B.07 Multi-way Stop Applications
Support:Multi-way stop control can be useful as a safety measure at intersections if certain traffic conditions exist. Safety concerns associated with multi-way stops include pedestrians, bicyclists, and all road users expecting other road users to stop. Multi-way stop control is used where the volume of traffic on the intersecting roads is approximately equal.
The restrictions on the use of STOP signs described in Section 2B.05 also apply to multi-way stop applications.

Guidance:
The decision to install multi-way stop control should be based on an engineering study.
The following criteria should be considered in the engineering study for a multi-way STOP sign installation:

1. Where traffic control signals are justified, the multi-way stop is an interim measure that can be installed quickly to control traffic while arrangements are being made for the installation of the traffic control signal.
2. A crash problem, as indicated by 5 or more reported crashes in a 12-month period that are susceptible to correction by a multi-way stop installation. Such crashes include right- and left-turn collisions as well as right-angle collisions.
3. Minimum volumes:
   1. The vehicular volume entering the intersection from the major street approaches (total of both approaches) averages at least 300 vehicles per hour for any 8 hours of an average day, and
   2. The combined vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle volume entering the intersection from the minor street approaches (total of both approaches) averages at least 200 units per hour for the same
   3. 8 hours, with an average delay to minor-street vehicular traffic of at least 30 seconds per vehicle during the highest hour, but If the 85th-percentile approach speed of the major-street traffic exceeds 65 km/h or exceeds 40 mph, the minimum vehicular volume warrants are 70 percent of the above values.
   4. Where no single criterion is satisfied, but where Criteria B, C.1, and C.2 are all satisfied to 80 percent of the minimum values. Criterion C.3 is excluded from this condition.

Other criteria:

• Other criteria that may be considered in an engineering study include:
• The need to control left-turn conflicts;
• The need to control vehicle/pedestrian conflicts near locations that generate high pedestrian volumes;
• Locations where a road user, after stopping, cannot see conflicting traffic and is not able to reasonably safely negotiate the intersection unless conflicting cross traffic is also required to stop;
• An intersection of two residential neighborhood collector (through) streets of similar design and operating characteristics where multi-way stop control would improve traffic operational characteristics of the intersection.