Four-Way Stop Motorists On Perry Face New Signs At 37th Ave.; Street Realignment Planned At Intersection

Heavier traffic and a handful of two-car accidents triggered the inevitable at 37th and Perry, an intersection known for its collisions.

The Spokane city traffic department last month installed new stop signs on Perry, making the intersection a four-way stop for the first time.

“The traffic seems to flow a lot more smoothly,” said Bob Turner, city traffic engineer.

Reaction in the neighborhood has been mixed.

“So far, I’m liking it,” said the Rev. John Shaffer, pastor at Manito United Methodist Church.

Shaffer lives near Ferris High School and drives to work on 37th Avenue.

“I don’t feel I’m at danger when I pass through there,” he said.

But traffic officials received about two dozen complaints after the new stop signs first went up, they said.

For years, motorists have had trouble negotiating the intersection because of limited visibility and the irregular alignment of 37th Avenue.

Drivers on 37th have to make a slight jog to the left to cross Perry. It has been hard for them to negotiate the jog and watch for oncoming vehicles at the same time.

Also, westbound drivers have crashed into a concrete wall at 1331 E. 37th on the northwest corner of the intersection several times a year. One case investigated by the city involved drinking and driving, Turner said.

Turner said the decision to install the extra stop signs is consistent with national standards for preventing accidents and controlling heavier traffic.

“We just don’t throw these out because we want to,” he said.

Federal guidelines call for the installation of four-way stops when an intersection has five or more accidents a year.

In 1996, there were five two-car accidents that could have been prevented with a four-way stop.

The guidelines also call for four-way stops when traffic on each of the two streets becomes close to equal.

A year ago, the city counted 7,200 cars in a single day on Perry, while 37th had 4,300 cars.

Also, the volumes exceeded 500 cars per hour for more than eight hours a day on each street, surpassing another guideline for installation of a four-way stop, Turner said.

The city last year notified neighbors by mailing them a flier and asking for comments. Turner said most of the comments supported the four-way stop.

Initially the city installed two stop signs side by side in each direction on Perry and put up a “traffic revision” sign to warn motorists of the change.

The city’s six-year plan for streets calls for spending $50,000 in the year 2002 to realign 37th Avenue at Perry. The project would eliminate the jog to the left on 37th Avenue.

, DataTimes