Committee of the Whole signals support for four-way stop at 5th Street and Bluegrass Parkway after traffic study

A Committee of the Whole meeting heard a public-works presentation and community remarks on a request to convert the intersection of 5th Street and Bluegrass Parkway to an all-way (four-way) stop. Committee members and residents voiced safety concerns tied to recent crashes and school crossings, and the committee signaled consensus in favor of recommending a four-way stop; no formal motion or roll-call vote was taken in the committee session.

The public-works presenter described how the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) governs whether stop signs should be added. The presenter said staff reviewed five MUTCD warrants — crash history, sight distance, transition-to-signal conditions, an eight-hour volume threshold and other factors — and that the intersection does not meet all of the warrant criteria for an all-way stop. According to the presentation, there have been 12 crashes at the location since 2022 (one in 2022, five in 2023, two in 2024 and four in 2025 to date). The presenter noted several crashes involved failure to yield and that a detour in 2023 likely contributed to that year’s spike in collisions.

Residents and trustees pushed back on the strict application of the warrants, arguing that nearby schools and inconsistent crossing-guard coverage make the intersection dangerous for students. One resident said, “I think that there should be a 4 way there,” describing concerns about children crossing and spotty guard coverage. Trustees also noted ongoing and planned nearby development they said will increase traffic on 5th Street.

The police chief provided enforcement context and speed data, reporting average speeds of about 34.23 mph northbound and 32.11 mph southbound on 5th Street and saying most recent crashes appeared to stem from failure-to-yield errors rather than speeding. The chief added that enforcement practices — including targeted deployments for stop- or speed-related concerns — would not change significantly if a stop sign were installed.

An absent trustee, Karen McCarthy Lang, submitted a written statement read into the record that expressed support for a four-way stop, urged consideration of school pedestrian traffic, and noted the possibility of increased traffic tied to construction on nearby routes. The statement read in full said, in part, “Traffic studies are great for helping us make decisions, but do not take everything into consideration … I believe having an always stop at Bluegrass And 5th will help decrease the accidents that we saw significantly increase that year.”

While staff concluded the MUTCD warrants do not currently require an all-way stop because Bluegrass did not meet the minor-street hourly volume threshold, trustees and residents emphasized localized safety concerns and said they would recommend adding stop control. The chair said the committee had not heard any dissent and described the outcome as consensus; because the meeting was a Committee of the Whole, no formal motion or vote was held at this session.

The committee plans no immediate ordinance or vote from this meeting; the chair noted the board would reconvene for its regular board meeting at 7:00 p.m. The session ended early for a brief celebration for outgoing Public Works Director Jennifer Hughes, whose last day was that day.

Sources: public-works presentation and traffic data, police chief statement, resident comments, and a written statement from Trustee Karen McCarthy Lang, all read or spoken during the Committee of the Whole meeting.