A mix of crash data, school pedestrian traffic and neighborhood complaints is driving a proposal to change traffic control at three Auburn intersections.
City Council heard the first reading Thursday of an ordinance that would create a four-way stop at Capital and Perry streets, a three-way stop at North Marvine Avenue and Ross Street Extension and a new stop for drivers entering North Hunter Avenue from Drummond Street.
The proposal drew questions before council even reached the ordinance.
During public comment, retired transportation official Terry Rice urged the city to look beyond the number of crashes and consider whether stop signs are actually the appropriate corrective measure.
Rice said stop signs generally shouldn’t be installed solely to control vehicle speeds and questioned whether traffic volumes and crash patterns at the intersections justified the changes.
A North Hunter Avenue resident also raised questions about the Drummond Street proposal. John King said visibility at the intersection has already improved after trees on his property were trimmed and questioned whether another stop sign would significantly change driver behavior.
Police Sgt. Greg Gilfus later walked council through the reasoning behind each proposal.
The strongest crash history is at Capital and Perry streets.
The agenda packet initially identified eight crashes there since June 2021, including four that resulted in injuries. Gilfus said two more crashes occurred after that memo was prepared, bringing the count discussed Thursday to 10 crashes, five involving injuries.
Perry Street traffic currently stops while vehicles on Capital Street have the right of way.
Gilfus said making the intersection a four-way stop would also create consistency along that portion of Capital Street, where nearby intersections at Cayuga and North Seward avenues already have four-way controls.
The North Marvine Avenue and Ross Street Extension proposal is focused largely on pedestrian safety.
A walking path serving Herman Avenue Elementary School connects directly to the crosswalk there, while the broader area also carries traffic associated with Auburn Junior High School and Cayuga Community College.
Police said monitoring showed some drivers failing to stop for children attempting to cross and traveling above the 30 mph speed limit despite existing pedestrian signage.
The city has already tried enhanced crosswalk signs and an in-road pedestrian sign, but officials said those measures haven’t solved the problem.
The third location, Drummond Street at North Hunter Avenue, presents a jurisdictional complication.
The city can install a stop sign controlling traffic coming from Drummond Street, but part of North Hunter Avenue at the intersection is in the town of Sennett.
Council discussed contacting Sennett about whether an additional stop sign could be installed from the opposite direction.
Gilfus said he wouldn’t object to having both directions controlled, although Auburn can’t act on the town’s portion by itself.
The city had previously received a neighborhood letter signed by six residents raising concerns about visibility, speeding and children in the area. Overgrown trees identified as one visibility problem have since been trimmed.
Because Thursday was only the first reading, no final action was taken.
The proposed traffic changes are expected to return to City Council for a vote at its next meeting.
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