Grass Valley council directs staff to design all-way stop at Main and South Auburn

City officials directed staff to design an all-way stop control for the Main Street and South Auburn Street intersection and to include lighting and pedestrian-safety improvements in the final plans.

The recommendation came after a staff presentation and a two-month trial in which the intersection was left in a flashing-red mode. Bjorn Jones, the city engineer, told the council the trial showed the corridor “flowed a little better” under stop control and that signalization “was not apparent” as needed. Jones recommended staff “stick with an all way stop control” and incorporate pedestrian enhancements if the council agreed.

Why it matters: the intersection serves a busy stretch of downtown used by pedestrians accessing the plaza, city parking and businesses. Council members and public commenters raised safety concerns for people with visual impairments and people who walk downtown at night; staff said converting to stop control reduces long-term maintenance costs compared with keeping a full signal.

City Manager Tim Keys and Jones described design steps and timing: after council direction staff will produce final engineered plans for council approval and bid the street-restoration project for early spring construction. Jones said a conversion to all-way stop would allow the city to keep the crosswalks and add pedestrian-specific features; if the council had kept the signal the staff recommendation would have been to remove one uncontrolled crosswalk.

Police Chief Alex Gamelgaard told the council he has observed the intersection in both modes and said one safety problem in the signalized configuration is conflicting movements: “the current configuration with the crosswalk...creates a false sense of security for pedestrians because they push a button, they get the walk symbol,” and vehicles making unprotected left turns can conflict with people crossing. He said an all-stop control removes the protected/unprotected conflict because “if a pedestrian is walking and motorist is alerted and vice versa” drivers must stop before proceeding.

Public commenters were divided. Robin Galvin Davies, executive director of the Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Grass Valley Downtown Association, said merchants worry about pedestrian safety and vehicle turning movements but offered no single preferred outcome; Jacob McDonald, a downtown business owner, urged measures that prioritize pedestrians and suggested physical traffic-calming features such as bump-outs and raised crosswalks. Brenda English, a frequent downtown walker, said the current signal is “a very dark intersection” at night and urged keeping the signal as-is with improved lighting. Several speakers asked the city to consult with FREED, the local disability-advocacy group, about audible features and other accessibility needs.

Council discussion centered on safety, maintenance costs, and downtown walkability. Several council members said they favored the stop-control option if the plan includes improved lighting and pedestrian enhancements and if staff coordinates with accessibility advocates. Jones confirmed staff will reach out to FREED and include lighting, pedestrian beacons and other safety elements in the engineering plans.

What happens next: staff will prepare final engineering drawings for the stop-control configuration, include lighting and pedestrian-safety elements, consult FREED, and return the plans to council for approval and bidding. Jones said the city hopes to advertise the street-restoration project within about a month to schedule early-spring construction.

Ending note: Council members emphasized the goal of preserving downtown walkability while improving safety and reducing long-term maintenance costs for the city.