Resident's stop sign effort halted

CLOVIS — A resident's effort to have stop signs placed at every unmarked intersection in the city was halted early in its tracks Wednesday morning at the Clovis Public Works Committee's regular meeting. 

"I know this is a longstanding issue with the city, as it's been in my heart for 20 years since I've been in town," said Kathy Elliott, speaking before the committee. "I want to make our streets safer for everyone, no matter where you live."

Elliott drafted a petition to circulate among residents this month, but her approach might change after feedback from city employees. 

"I'm not aware of any city in New Mexico that has every intersection controlled," said Traffic Safety Coordinator Kevin Musick. "Motorists usually know whether a sign is warranted or not. Having signs we don't need breeds disrespect for signs that we do need."

Musick referred to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, a resource of federal guidelines outlining the circumstances in which traffic signage is required.

A stop sign is necessary at a given intersection if it hosts more than 6,000 cars daily, he said, whereas most residential areas in Clovis only see 50 to a few hundred. 

Beyond the MUTCD requirements, the decision to put up a new sign has more to do with a combination of local professional input and public opinion.

In an interview after the meeting, Public Works Director Clint Bunch told of a gridding system established two years ago by a previous city engineer. Stop signs were placed at intersections every two blocks on roads in two western parts of the city: between 14th and 7th streets from Hull to Cameo streets, and seven blocks south from West Manana Boulevard between Main and Thornton streets.

The result was non-residential motorists seeking alternate routes, as well as a combination of frustration and gratitude from people who lived in those areas, said Bunch.

"It's all relative to the person. We had some people that wanted it and then we had a lot of people that didn't like it at all," he said. "A lot of people started disregarding the signs."

"The amount of car flow is not going to change," said Musick. "All you're going to change is the routes."

Engineers need to consider a number of factors when determining the need for a new sign, including sight distance, street geometry and speed on the road. At best, superfluous stop signs can be an additional expense to the city and a headache for drivers, said Musick. At worst, they can present new traffic hazards such as speeding in between intersections to make up for lost time.

Of all the intersections in Clovis, roughly 60 percent are without any stop or yield signs, said Bunch. At a minimum price of $175 per sign (not including maintenance expenses), it would cost close to a million dollars to place signs at every unmarked intersection in the city, he estimated.

Bunch did not have an immediate count of the actual number or distribution of marked intersections in the city, but he said that data will become available soon as public works employees continue an in-progress comprehensive effort to check on the condition of every stop sign.

More broadly, Clovis is home to somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 regulatory signs, which includes speed limit markers and other signs outside of intersections, said Bunch.

But many residents near unmarked intersections in Clovis, interviewed near their residences, said they are supportive of some kind of regulatory signage.

"We've seen all kinds of almost-terrible crashes," said Rhonda Montano, who lives near an intersection on Sixth Street. "I've almost had several myself. They need at least a yield or a stop sign on one corner or another."

"They definitely need some stop signs. I can tell you that," said Patricia McLendon, Montano's neighbor. "Last week there was almost a crash. It's a wonder we don't have more right here."

"We need (a stop sign). They go flying through (the intersection) both ways," said Lori Odom, who has lived near another intersection on Sixth Street for over 40 years. "I keep waiting for a terrific crash one of these days. I just don't want to be the bystander."

"It's just a dangerous intersection," said Eddie Ray, who lives near Odom.

But other residents echoed the input of City Commissioner Gary Elliott, who asked in Tuesday's committee meeting if a reminder of state traffic laws might solve at least some hazards of unmarked intersections.

"I wonder if the problem is with some people not realizing that the person on the right has right-of-way?" Gary Elliott said.

"I think that it's an unnecessary expense for the city," said Mary McAnulla, who lives at an unmarked intersection on Ninth Street. "I think the New Mexico traffic law states right-of-way conditions very specifically."

When asked by committee members, Kathy Elliott - whose father-in-law is Gary Elliott - said she considers the intersections south of Commerce Way and east of Main Street most in need of signage.

Mayor David Lansford said employees of the public works department would evaluate the intersections there for the need of regulatory signs and make an appropriate determination.

Musick encouraged Kathy Elliott to focus on recommending specific intersections in need of signs, rather than making a blanket recommendation to address them all. 

"I think that's the best approach," she agreed after the meeting. "Well, I am realistic that if we start with one area and address it and have it fixed, that for future years I'm hopeful that the pattern just continues."

Elliott said she hopes more city residents will feel empowered to contact the city with any input on public roads and other works, for signs or anything else.

"Anytime we get somebody that has concerns over traffic issues, we address them right away," said Bunch.

Specifically, residents can call the Clovis Public Works Department and ask for the traffic division. If they reach a voice mailbox, they should leave a message with their name, number, and a brief description of the issue.

"The traffic department will get back to them and go check out the area," said Bunch. "If that doesn't appease them, they can always take it to the (Public Works Committee monthly meeting)."

"I do not want to wait until a tragedy occurs," said Kathy Elliott, suggesting the city's growth would bring with it more motorists who are unfamiliar with the particulars of Clovis roads or state right-of-way laws. "Someday, something horrible will happen if we don't address it."