Othello reviews streets, traffic

OTHELLO - Othello will install new signs and hopes to conduct a traffic study after resident Bob Cox raised concerns about two areas of the city.

The council approved placing signs on Cemetery Road. The city will send a letter to the school district about the concerns on Scootney Street and Seventh Avenue.

Cox raised concerns about the intersection near McFarland Middle School and Lutacaga Elementary School, he said.

"For the last year, I've been noticing a lot of confusion and a high volume of traffic," he said. "For me, just as a concerned citizen and as a bus driver who sees this every day, I see a situation that is very concerning for me."

The intersection has three stop signs, two along Seventh Avenue and one on Scootney Street, and has a right-hand turn lane on Seventh Avenue.

"In my opinion it was designed that way because of the small volume of traffic," he said. "Over this last spring, especially in the good weather, the children really start walking a lot ... I've seen a minimum of 30 to 50 children will walk across this intersection."

He pointed out traffic backs up at the intersection, and people become confused about who can go first at the intersection.

"I've seen countless times where people are very impatient. They need to go pick up their kids right away ... It's just a guess and by golly and cross your fingers and pray real hard that you don't bang into somebody," Cox said.

 He suggested making the intersection a four-way stop, Cox said.

"The problem really is just in the morning and in the afternoon because the rest of the time, in my estimation, this intersection is just fine," he said. "I think the growth of our population and the students who are walking to and from school is great enough now that I think it deserves your attention."

Councilmembers Charles Garcia and Ken Johnson agreed the intersection is an issue. Johnson added he was concerned about placing a stop sign on Scootney Street, because of the hill before the intersection.

"Scootney has become a collector street, and I've seen cars all the way down to the next intersection," Johnson said. "I just see concerns about putting a stop sign there, especially in the winter."

Councilmember Genna Dorow said she understood both sides, but neither addressed the children walking in the intersection.

"Really what it comes down to is the school ought to have crossing guards on that block because there are so many of them crossing and they don't pay attention and they walk right out," she said. "Even with the four-way stop, cars are going to have a hard time knowing who's going to go because this one has got kids going in front of it and this one thinks they're next. You need to control kids and then control traffic."

City Administrator Ehman Sheldon suggested having a traffic engineer examine the intersection and make a recommendation to the council.

Cox, a grounds keeper for the Bess Hampton Memorial Gardens, said people often travel on Cemetery Road believing it connects with state Route 17. When they discover it doesn't they are required to turn around. The issue is a larger problem for trucks, which have a harder time turning around without damaging the grass in the cemetery.

"What I'm asking is there be a sign placed, somewhere about Cemetery Road and 20th Street, and it say, 'Not a through road,'" he said.

The councilmembers agreed to placing signs stating, "No trucks," and "Not a through road."