Sedalia council votes down immediate four-way stop at West Third and South Park, sends issue back to traffic advisory

The Sedalia City Council voted to reject an ordinance that would have installed a four-way stop at West Third Street and South Park Avenue, and subsequently directed staff to return the proposal to the Citizen Traffic Advisory Commission for a formal traffic study.

City Engineer Chris Davis told the council that the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) requires engineering studies before installing multiway stops, citing crash history, traffic volumes and intersection geometry as core criteria. “The guidelines for a four-way stop ... is the decision should be based on an engineering study,” Davis said, noting staff typically requests police crash history and conducts vehicle counts before recommending stop signs.

The council heard conflicting input from city staff, advisory members and residents. Amy Eppel, director of Parks and Recreation, asked the council to delay action because the intersection has a fifth point of entry at the Liberty Park entrance and a planned bike-trail extension could change traffic patterns. “We have a lot of different things that are happening in that area, and I just want to make sure that we’re doing it correctly,” Eppel said.

Chairperson Esquivel of the Citizen Traffic Advisory Commission said the advisory committee had tied on the issue after members asked for a study and that councilmembers Oldham and Robinson attended the advisory meeting as private citizens. Esquivel criticized the council for bypassing the advisory process: “Advisory committees exist for a reason, to ensure decisions are informed by data, public input, and the expertise of those with knowledge of traffic flow and public safety,” Esquivel said.

Council members expressed a range of views. One council member who said they had brought the item to the council on behalf of ward residents said a stop sign would be a small, immediate safety step and asked that a formal study follow quickly. Councilwoman Boggess, who said a family member had a serious crash at that location, urged faster action: “When we’re talking about loss of life, … we need to get something done.” Councilman Robinson said any study should include the planned Katy Trail bike route so the two efforts do not conflict.

On the ordinance vote the council recorded six votes against and two in favor; the bill failed. Afterward, Council moved and passed a separate motion to send the matter back to the Citizen Traffic Advisory Commission for study, with the council directing staff to request crash history, conduct vehicle counts, and include pedestrian, bicycle and intersection-geometry analysis before any new control is installed.

The council’s action preserves the status quo at the intersection while ordering the formal data collection and advisory review the city engineer and parks director recommended. The return to the advisory commission means a formal engineering study and additional public input will be compiled before council reconsideration.