Nantucket advisory panel debates which stop signs to keep on multiuse paths

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee on Nantucket debated whether stop signs on multiuse paths should be removed at some intersections, with staff warning state design standards and public-safety staff advising caution.

BPAC Chair Ian Golding opened the discussion by noting the item was the “status of path stop sign removal,” and said he has been involved “since its inception 6 years ago.” Mike Burns, a town staff member who presented a slide deck, summarized the conflict: state and federal guidance recommend path stop signs and stop bars at most roadway crossings, while a spreadsheet of local recommendations suggested removing some path stop signs at minor crossings.

"The Massachusetts Department of Transportation's design guide for paths crossing roads ... notes that in most cases stop signs are to be provided on a path approaches," Burns said, adding that the Manual on Uniform Traffic…