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Board declines to add three-way stop at Bridle Path and Dogwood after warrants not met
Summary
Engineering counts showed the intersection did not meet MUTCD warrants and the board voted 6-0 to receive and file the request for a three-way/all-way stop; members emphasized sight-distance checks and potential parking restrictions as alternatives.
The Amherst Traffic Safety Board on Aug. 5 considered a resident petition for an all-way stop at the three-legged intersection of Bridle Path and Dogwood but concluded warrants were not met and received and filed the item.
Chris Schreigel explained counts for the site: Bridle Path (major approach) had an 85th-percentile speed of about 28 mph and daily volumes near 350 and 315 on both approaches; the board's presentation noted the major-road warrant (300 vehicles per highest 8 hours) and minor approach thresholds were not satisfied at the site. Chris said the town expanded the crash history to 10 years and found zero reported crashes at that intersection.
Resident Mike Tramposch and others urged clearer right-of-way assignment for pedestrian and cyclist safety; Tramposch asked for a more formal engineering evaluation encompassing sight distance and turning behavior. Chair Eric Fraas cautioned that adding an unwarranted stop sign can reduce safety if drivers habitually roll through it, creating confusing compliance scenarios. The board voted 6'to'0 to receive and file based on the available data.
What happens next: engineering offered to gather additional site-distance or obstruction information on request, and the board said it would reconsider if residents later present new evidence.
