STOP SIGNS

Stop signs have been applied in the past as a traffic calming
treatment.  Past studies have shown that traffic tends to
speed up between stop signs unless placed at very frequent
intervals.  The starting and stopping of vehicles also 
creates some noise impacts and vehicle emissions that are
deemed undesirable.

The MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES -- MILLENNIUM
EDITION indicates that multi-way stop signs should be placed
only where there is a sufficient volume on the side street
to warrant stopping traffic on the major street, or an
accident problem susceptible to correction by multi-way stop
signs.  The volume criteria are as follows:

   a)  The total vehicular volume entering the intersection
       from the major street approaches (total of both app-
       roaches) must average at least 300 vehicles per hour
       for each of any 8 hours of an average day, and

   b)  The combined vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle volume
       from the minor street approaches (total of both app-
       roaches) must average at least 200 units per hour for
       the same 8 hours, with an average delay to minor street
       vehicular traffic of at least 30 seconds per vehicle
       during the highest hour, but

   c)  When the 85th percentile speed of the major street
       traffic exceeds 40 mph, the minimum vehicular volume
       warrants are 70 percent of the above values.

The accident warrant for multi-way stop signs identifies that
there must be at least five accidents in a 12-month period
susceptible to correction by multi-way stop signs.

                          ----------

One of the most frequently asked questions about MUTCD is:

Must all traffic control devices nationwide conform to the
MUTCD?

Answer:  Yes, all traffic control devices nationwide must
conform to the MUTCD.  There are no exceptions.

                         --------------

Another question:  What happens if a state violates the MUTCD?

Answer: The law threatens loss of highway funds if a state
violates the MUTCD.  Credible financial threats are extra-
ordinarily rare, however.

                        ---------------