Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Traffic commission denies all‑way stop request at Sixth Street and Walnut Avenue, approves red‑curb daylighting
Summary
The Montebello Traffic and Safety Commission received a warrant study for Sixth Street and Walnut Avenue, denied a request for an all‑way stop because MUTCD criteria were not met, and voted to add red curb (daylighting) at intersection approaches.
The Montebello Traffic and Safety Commission on an unspecified date received and filed a stop‑sign warrant study for Sixth Street and Walnut Avenue, denied a request to convert the intersection to an all‑way stop, and approved installing red curb to improve sight lines.
Dennis Barnes, the city's traffic engineer, told commissioners that staff applied the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) warrants and vehicle counts in its analysis. "The results indicated that no, it did not" meet the criteria for an all‑way stop, Barnes said, and recommended denying the request while installing red curb at the approaches to comply with the daylighting law (Assembly Bill 413).
The commission's action matters because MUTCD warrants and reported collision history typically guide whether stop signs are installed. Barnes said the study used Caltrans collision data (the TIMS/TIMSS database) and automated traffic counts; the counts did not meet the usual thresholds cited in the MUTCD (for example, roughly 300 vehicles on the major street and 200 on the minor street during an 8‑hour period, as summarized in the staff report).
Commissioners questioned data collection methods and field conditions. A commissioner asked about counting techniques; Barnes said vendors use either video or pneumatic tube counters and that signal studies use manual turning movement counts. Commissioners also noted that conditions can be more congested during evening commute hours and that sight‑distance problems can appear at peak times even when 24‑hour averages fall short of warrants.
Commissioner LaRocca moved to approve staff recommendations to receive and file the study, deny the all‑way stop request, and install red curb at the approaches; the motion was seconded by Chair Baez and passed in a roll call vote with Commissioners Takayama, LaRocca, Hernandez and Chair Baez voting yes.
The commission did not adopt a stop‑sign installation at this time; staff will proceed with painting red curb to improve visibility and will monitor the intersection after changes are made.
