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All-way stop approved for Summit and Elder

All-way stop signs will soon be in place at the intersection of Summit Avenue and Elder Street.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the introduction of the ordinance and first reading May 16, and on May 23 the supervisors adopted the ordinance after a second reading. The ordinance will take effect June 22.

The supervisors also approved parking prohibitions for portions of Alturas Street, Fallbrook Street, and Gird Road which also were initially approved May 16 and adopted May 23. Those parking bans will also become official on June 22.

The current configuration of the intersection of Summit Avenue and Elder Street signs and stripes the road for predominant traffic flow. The north leg of Summit Avenue has a stop control and limit line while the south leg has a yield control. The west leg of Elder Street also has a stop control. Elder Street has an official 25 mph speed limit while there is no posted speed limit on Summit Avenue. An October 2006 traffic survey indicated an average daily traffic volume of 550 northbound vehicles on Summit Avenue south of Elder Street, 480 westbound vehicles on Elder Street east of Summit Avenue, 210 eastbound vehicles on Elder Street west of Summit Avenue, and 190 southbound vehicles on Summit Avenue north of Elder Street.

Between April 30, 2003, and April 30, 2006, the only reported collision near the intersection occurred 200 feet south of the intersection when an intoxicated northbound motorist on Summit Avenue rear-ended a legally parked car. However, the California Highway Patrol’s Oceanside office noted that at least three reported collisions have occurred at that intersection since April 30, 2006. Nearby residents have noted that the intersection is used as a shortcut to Camp Pendleton and that a nearby elementary school creates traffic peaks during school arrival and dismissal times.

The county’s Traffic Advisory Committee reviewed the intersection March 9. Although the TAC had previously been reluctant to resort to an all-way stop control, the recent collision information was not available during previous reviews. Although an all-way stop control degrades an intersection’s operation and possibly creates a false sense of security, predominant flow works best when supported by certain traffic volumes, patterns, and intersection characteristics. The TAC expressed a belief that there is no longer confidence in the existing signage and that an all-way stop control would eliminate the uncertainty and confusion. Residents were cautioned that an all-way stop control would not curtail speeding or guarantee compliance, and the TAC also requested that the stop control be monitored for one year after its installation and that county Department of Public Works staff report back to the TAC to determine its impact on the intersection’s operating conditions.

The parking prohibition on Alturas Street covers the west side of that road from 90 feet south of Beech Street northerly 200 feet. The parking ban is intended to improve sight distance at the Alturas Road/Beech Street access to the Springbrook Grove Apartments project.

The Fallbrook Street parking ban will be on the north side of that street from the west line of Mission Road to ten feet east of the east line of Wisconsin Avenue. That parking prohibition will allow for the extension of an existing 150-foot passenger loading zone by an additional 250 feet and accommodate the growing needs of Fallbrook Street Elementary School students and parents.

The Gird Road parking prohibitions cover two segments. One extends from the north line of State Route 76 to 1,410 feet north of Highway 76 while the other runs from 3,100 feet north of State Route 76 to 930 feet south of the north line of Knottwood Way. That parking ban fulfills a condition placed upon a development project in the area.

 

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