Monterey officials installed a new stop sign at the intersection of North Elm Street and East Mineral Avenue to reduce speeding along a previously uninterrupted stretch of roadway.
Police Chief John Mackie said the decision followed reports from a resident living near the corner regarding traffic concerns. Mackie said officers conducted extra patrols and used radar to confirm that vehicles were reaching excessive speeds in the area.
“I mentioned to the board a tactic that would help to get the stop sign, is that was the longest stretch of side road without a stop sign in it, in Monterey,” Mackie said. “So they had plenty of time from one stop sign right there by the Goff Funeral Home to get up speed down to the other stop sign.”
Mackie said the new sign creates a break in the road that prevents drivers from accelerating to the levels observed during the police department’s assessment. The issue reached the board after neighbors expressed a desire for a traffic control device to improve safety.
“I went out there and we wrote a couple of citations and then we realized that the speeds they are getting up higher than they need to be,” Mackie said.
Mackie said the department is currently focusing on educating the public about the change rather than strictly enforcing the new stop sign. While officers have issued citations for unrelated offenses like lack of insurance or driver’s licenses during stops at the intersection, they are providing warnings for the sign itself.
“But we are recognizing people not knowing that this is a new stop sign and they’re going to forget,” Mackie said. “So we’re trying to give them breaks, but we are warning them, ‘Hey, there’s a stop sign there.'”
Mackie said the period of leniency for drivers will not last for months, but the department wants to ensure local motorists have enough time to become aware of the modification.
“Well, we’re going to give it some time,” Mackie said. “We’re not going to sit on it for months, but I mean, we’re going to give it a little time just to let people know that it’s here.”
