The Rye City Council has decided to hold off on installing a stop sign at a controversial location; however installing one on a trial basis will continue to loom.

The council, on Jan. 20, discussed possible implementation of a temporary stop sign along Midland Avenue at the notorious T-intersection of Palisade Road.

The location has garnered attention since 2006 when 10-year-old Jarrid Amico was killed by an oncoming van while riding his bike on Midland Avenue near his Goldwyn Street home. On Jan. 7, that issue resonated once again when Christofer Moreira, a 10-year-old Midland School student, was struck at the same location by a sport utility vehicle. Christofer sustained a concussion and minor bruising in the ordeal. In neither case was speed considered a factor, according to police.

However, Jim Amico, father of Jarrid, says children aren’t to blame and shouldn’t be held accountable. “You can’t change the habits of children,” he urged.
Christofer’s mother Rita emotionally pleaded with the council for its help. “It’s a concern,” she said. “There has to be crosswalks, pedestrian walks, anything. Something has to be done.”

The city is in the midst of implementing five separate pedestrian-friendly safety projects. One such project slated for the notorious location along Midland includes the addition of bump outs – that protrude from the sidewalk 6-8 feet to reduce speeds, signage, crosswalk and speed measurement devices all geared toward calming traffic. The city has also decided to restrict several parking spots on Midland between Ellis Court and Grace Church Street.

“Bump outs will not slow cars down…you’re kidding yourselves,” Amico argued. For the resident who was arrested in the aftermath of the latest accident, it’s stop sign or nothing. “Enforcement and stop signs will regulate traffic,” he said. “We’ve waited four years. I don’t understand this discussion…or why it’s taking place. It’s really not necessary.”

However, a stop sign at that location doesn’t adhere to professional standards.

According to Brian Dempsey, chair of the city’s Traffic & Transportation Committee (T&T), the committee was unanimously opposed to a stop sign at that intersection touting it as unwarranted. Since the 2006 accident, the city has talked and walked the site with county traffic engineers as well as New Rochelle’s city engineer – who previously served as a consultant to Rye. The county also did two sets of speed measurements along the corridor and didn’t find speed to be a significant factor.

A professional traffic engineer, Dempsey cited studies that say drivers reach top speed within 100 feet of a stop sign, and 10 percent of drivers drive right through them. Dempsey even went back to the county to make sure he wasn’t missing something – he wasn’t. “If we felt it was the right thing we would recommend it,” he told the council. “Our committee was unanimous in not supporting a stop sign. Particularly in unwarranted stop signs you open yourself up to some liabilities.”

Councilwoman Suzanna Keith (R) floated the idea of a possible temporary stop sign, saying public sentiment for it had grown in recent days. But Councilwoman Paula Gamache (D) argued that a qualified traffic engineer has yet to surface to support putting any stop sign at the location in question. “I’m not a traffic engineer and I don’t think anyone is up here,” she continued, “so I look to the experts to tell us their best advice.”

The T&T has also recommended against a temporary stop sign. The engineer said at the Midland/Palisade intersection a bump out is far superior to a stop sign.
Alarming to city officials is the chance they would take by putting a stop sign in now running the risk of jeopardizing $695,000 in the city’s federal stimulus funding since it would change the scope of the planned safety project at that particular location. “Right now there is still a lot to be informed about,” said Mayor Douglas French (R). “I’ve heard liabilities, I’ve heard loss of stimulus dollars. I think all of those variables need to be looked at and reported back to us.”

The mayor told city staff to move ahead with the safety projects as planned. “There is a lot of good work being done,” he added. “But does it go far enough?”

To try and sort out that question, French also asked the city’s legal counsel to investigate the type of exposure the city could open itself up to by putting a stop sign up. And seemingly supportive of a temporary stop sign, French sent it back to the T&T for further vetting.