The traffic committee rejected a proposal to install four-way stops on Barksdale Road, including here at the intersection of Country Hills Drive.
The traffic committee rejected a proposal to install four-way stops on Barksdale Road, including here at the intersection of Country Hills Drive.
A proposal to install stop signs on Barksdale Road was roundly rejected at a recent traffic committee meeting, though Newark officials said they will continue to investigate ways to address perceived issues with speeding.
The issue was brought forward by Councilman John Suchanec, who said he heard from constituents concerned about motorists speeding on Barksdale Road.
“I decided to take a ride out there a couple weeks ago and was almost pushed off the road by a pickup truck that really wanted to go three times what I was going,” Suchanec said “It’s a real problem.”
He asked the city’s traffic committee to look at possible solutions. The committee, which is tasked with advising city council on issues involving traffic and roads, is comprised of city officials, Newark Police officers, a representative from the Wilmington Area Planing Council and a resident.
Specifically, Suchanec suggested adding four-way stops where Barksdale Road intersects Rahway Drive, Blue Hen Ridge and Country Hills Drive. He also recommended lowering the speed limit to 35 mph along the whole stretch of road, which has a 40 mph limit between the state line and the bridge over Christina Creek.
Deputy Chief Mark Farrall said the police department did a speed study on the 40 mph segment of Barksdale Road in June and found that the average speed of cars was 37.3 mph. The 85th percentile was 46 mph, meaning 85 percent of motorists were going that speed or slower.
In the last year, there have been three crashes there, but all three involved a vehicle hitting an animal.
“The crash data and the speed data don’t seem to support that there’s actually a major speeding problem on this roadway,” Farrall said.
He noted that the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices dictates that stop signs should not be used for speed control.
Though Suchanec’s proposal was based on complaints from constituents, no one spoke in favor of it at the Aug. 16 meeting. However, several residents of the neighborhoods off Barksdale Road attended the meeting to oppose the new stop signs.
“This is just wacky,” said Cathy Johnston, who has lived on Rahway Drive for 50 years. “It’s overkill. It’s going to cause so much trouble.”
Tom Rogers, a resident of Abbotsford, said installing three stop signs in a short stretch of road would create backups.
“I would characterize the road as one of the safest roads I travel on,” Rogers said.
Margaretann O’Rourke, also from Abbotsford, said she frequently walks on Barksdale Road and feels doing so is safe.
“When you have a car rush by you, it might feel like speeding, but at no time have I ever felt in danger,” O’Rourk said.
Richard Turner, who lives in Elan, said he sees no reason to install more stop signs but did suggest the speed limit be lowered to 25 mph to match other residential areas.
Public Works Director Tim Filasky responded that speed limits are usually set by looking at the 85th percentile speed data, which suggests the limit should actually be a little bit higher.
“You don’t want to artificially set it at 25 and then have everybody break the rules,” Filasky said. “They’re not going to go 25. They may go 35, but not 25.”
Farrall said the police department will set up a radar speed sign on Barksdale Road, though he noted they aren’t usually very effective and sometimes actually encourage drivers to test out how fast their car can go.
Dave Gula, a representative of WILMAPCO, said officials might want to re-examine speeds on Barksdale Road after two development projects – Barksdale Crossing just over the state line and Briarcreek North on Valley Road – are finished and bring more traffic to the road.
He added that the city could also encourage the Delaware Department of Transportation to reduce the width of the lanes the next time the road is repaved. Motorists tend to go faster when the lanes are wider.
“I don’t know what the solution is and I’m willing to have a conversation about it, but I don’t know that stop signs are the way I would recommend,” Gula said.
The committee decided not to take a vote on Suchanec’s proposal, so the matter died.
Meanwhile, the committee did agree to install a “Watch children” sign on Peach Road, a residential street that is often used as a cut-through between South Main Street and West Park Place. A resident had expressed concern about the safety of her 1-year-old daughter and other children in the area.
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