The issue: Several downtown merchants are worried about the speed of traffic downtown. Last week, we talked about the idea of turning the stoplight at Ingram and Main streets into a four-way stop, as a way to “calm” traffic. That drew the responses below. Express your opinion via email to speckledpawcoffee@gmail.com.
Leave the stoplight red until approached
(The stoplight) should not be replaced with a four-way stop. The chief of police had a good idea to put the default on Main Street so that the light is red on Main Street until approached. A four-way stop would not be a good idea on a main highway, which is what Main Street really is.
Bill Price
Maybe leave Main Street ‘stop free’?
With regard to the possibility of making a change at the intersection of Ingram and Main streets, has anyone considered putting up stop signs on Ingram Street and leaving Main Street “stop free”? Seems that would be the same as the current situation beside the Presbyterian Church.
Cheryl Hall
People don’t pay attention to stop signs
All I can tell you about stop signs is that 98 percent of people do not stop at stop signs, they slow down a bit and go right on through. It seems to me people stop for stoplights much more than they do for stop signs.
Mandy Smith
Pedestrian crossing needed
Pedestrians, old folks in cars and log trucks driven by out-of-towners don’t mix well. A pedestrian crossing mid-block with flashing lights and enforcement might help. Folks tend to jaywalk (on Main Street) there now. I would worry about trucks running the stop sign at Main and Ingram without lots of lighting, etc.
John Matheson
Downtown’s not the only danger spot
We really need a light at the corner of Allenton Street and Hwy. 109. I was coming into the intersection going north and a car came from town going at least 30-40 miles per hour. I slammed on my brakes and he missed me by a foot. He continued on to Norwood. City hall has had several complaints …
Dianne Robinson
Leaving Main Street stop free would give those Log truckdrivers a chance to go even faster through down town. Seems like they are going 50 mph already. I don’t understand how they can fly passed the police station & not get stopped?
Sadly what would appear to be a great solution – “rest on red”, where the light is red on the main thoroughfare – doesn’t work well in practice, at least according to NCDOT. NCDOT is having to remove one of the two “rest on red” light configurations in our region because drivers tried to anticipate it turning green and ran the light causing accidents.
Sanford NC continues to remove stop lights in their downtown area and replace with stop signs. They saw the benefits of converting one light to 4-way stop sign intersection and have asked NCDOT to address more. California rolls through stop signs are slower than blitzing through a green light or no light at all. And who would dare run a stop sign in front of the police station??
Going 20 mph is hard. It literally takes physical and mental effort. Traffic calming techniques are used to help address the mental side of that effort so that folks make the physical effort – that’s called braking – to go the 20 mph speed limit. Having a 4-way stop intersection forces traffic to slow by having them to should stop – if they drive legally.
Mt Gilead downtown is experiencing a rebirth. Folks have become accustomed to flying through town unobstructed by cars parked along the main drag or pedestrians milling about, exiting cars, entering cars. Let’s take some action before someone gets hurt. Maybe even ACTIONS – as in plural.
If your intent is “slowing” traffic on Main Street a stop sign is the best solution. If you have to stop at this intersection you must drive slower to stop, thus accomplishing your purpose. Personally I don’t like this solution. Leave it as is and consider ways to accomplish the intent ( slowing traffic).