Stillwater staff propose decorative LED four-way stops and roundabout upgrades after pilot; council asks for cost comparisons
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Summary
City engineers presented designs to convert signals to solar LED-enhanced four-way stops at several downtown intersections, add pedestrian-scale lighting and pavement markers, and armor and beautify the 10th & Main roundabout; council asked staff to return cost estimates for both enhancing the roundabout and converting it to a four-way stop.
City engineering staff recommended a package of downtown traffic-calming and pedestrian-safety upgrades on Dec. 15, describing equipment and staging after a summer pilot that tested flashing four-way stops.
Bill Millis, the city’s Director of Engineering, presented renderings and described proposed features for 7th, 8th and 9th streets and for 10th Avenue: decorative solar LED-embedded stop signs on select corners, Block 34–style 14-foot pedestrian-scale street lights, embedded LED pavement markers, refreshed crosswalk striping and 'shark’s teeth' yield markings. "We did observe during the pilot that there was a safer environment," Millis said, summarizing staff observations that vehicle speeds decreased and pedestrian awareness increased.
Public commenter Elaine Zanotti, who lives downtown, told council she has watched traffic patterns change as downtown has become busier and said she appreciates staff work to balance safety and aesthetics: "Businesses gave an opportunity to say, Yes, they've noticed more pedestrian traffic and people paying attention to them as they are walking through."
Councilors questioned technical details — whether embedded lights are dimmable or run 24/7, the need for full-depth pavement repairs at certain crosswalks, and the size and visibility of the 10th & Main roundabout. One councilor said he had "a hard time voting for a plan that includes the roundabout," citing visibility obstruction by the statue in the circle and the device’s relatively small inner diameter; Millis said the roundabout meets the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices minimum diameter but acknowledged it is at the smallest acceptable size.
Staff said they have not completed a consolidated cost estimate and will return with projected costs for both (a) upgrading and restoring the roundabout with lighting and armor and (b) removing the roundabout and converting the intersection to a four-way stop. Staff also said they will evaluate truck-routing maps and signage to reduce truck traffic through downtown. The council asked staff to phase work where possible and to maximize in-house construction to reduce cost.
