A new three-way stop sign will be going in on Stanislaus Street at North Street in Escalon – and the area north of that location may be in line for some speed humps, as city officials look to slow down traffic along the route.
Escalon City Council members on Monday night gave the go ahead for installation of the stop signs, which should be going in shortly, with two on Stanislaus and one on North where the streets intersect.
City Manager Tammy Alcantor said the area, which is adjacent to parking lots at Escalon High School, has seen speeds increasing over the years, as motorists make the straight shot from the highway to Miller Avenue.
Many residents in the area had taken to placing signs on their lawns urging motorists to slow down and the three-way stop is something the city can do to help in that regard, said Alcantor.
“Some of the residents of the area were at the meeting and they also suggested speed humps,” Alcantor said of another possibility to encourage drivers to slow down. “We’re exploring those as well.”
Public Works crews will be putting in the stop signs to make the three-way stop and Alcantor said while there’s no specific time frame, she does anticipate the signs will be going up “in the near future.”
In addition to the three-way stop, a lighted crosswalk will be installed on Stanislaus but the exact location is still to be determined; it will likely be close to the school farm area to help facilitate crossing of the street there. It also is close to the JV baseball field, which would help fans cross the street safely during the baseball season.
Alcantor said the council had previously talking about the three-way stop signs and referred it to staff for researching; the North and Stanislaus location was preferred over one further north, at Harvest Lane and Stanislaus and the council agreed to the location recommended. Alcantor, Police Chief Mike Borges and Juston Collins of the Public Works Department met and settled on the location to present to council.
Alcantor said the city staff would also be getting in touch with school officials to get their input on placement of the speed humps and crosswalk, working in cooperation with the district to make sure the school and city both get maximum benefit from placement of the new traffic control measures.
