Perkasie Borough Council will consider an ordinance to create two new permanent four-way stop signs at busy intersections.
Council unanimously voted to move ahead with the ordinance at a regular business meeting Nov. 5.
Council President Jim Ryder did not attend the meeting.
Douglas Rossino, borough engineer with Gilmore and Associates Inc., Doylestown, told council that the intersections at South 5th Street and Park Avenue and South 9th Street and Park Avenue both met Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) warrants for permanent four-way stop signs.
Rossino said sight distance, traffic and crash data limits were all met or exceeded at both locations.
According to a Chegg.com study sight distance at intersections is determined by the length of the cross road that must be visible without obstruction to a vehicle trying to negotiate turns or crossing, when approaching intersections from any direction.
Currently there is a temporary four-way stop at South 9th and Park Avenue, but no temporary controls are in place at South 5th and Park Avenue.
Traffic counts were conducted to determine the traffic volume at both intersections.
“We’ve already proved both intersections meet the PennDOT criteria,” Rossino said.
Crash data analysis found that a minimum of five accidents within a 12 month period warrants a four-way stop. One of the intersections met the five and the second count found there to be nine accidents within the 12-month period.
“With the crash data the majority of the crashes were turning when the accident occurred. A four-way stop should eliminate or dramatically reduce those events,” Rossino explained.
South 9th and Park Avenue do not meet the required sight distance requirement.
Rossino said four-way stop signs would better regulate traffic flows and reduce stacking during rush hour.
“With the kind of traffic we see coming into the park and when the pool is open, we need to do something out there before something happens,” said Councilman Steve Rose. The pool is in the Menlo Aquatics Center, located at 425 Arthur Avenue.
Also near the West Park Avenue intersection is the Perkasie Branch Bucks County Library and a Pennridge School District building.
Council must vote on an ordinance before four-way stop signs at intersections can be implemented.
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