Waldwick April 18, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 5 Four-way stop eyed for West Prospect/Hopper corner The intersection of Hopper Avenue and West Prospect Street in Waldwick is expected to be posted with stop signs on all four corners if the state Department of Transportation approves the move. After hearing a presentation by Police Lt. Ed Weber last week, the mayor and council decided the four-way stop option made the most sense to increase safety at the busy corner near the Waldwick Pool, Waldwick High School, the Village School and the athletic fields. He said that technically speaking the intersection did not seem to meet all the criteria for a multi-way stop, but that it could be secured with enough justification. The council agreed to ask the borough engineer to prepare the formal study to submit to the state for approval. Lt. Weber said that on average, 328 cars travel on Hopper Avenue per peak hour, and 220 on West Prospect. He said that there have been 12 traffic accidents at the intersection in the last three years, none fatal or serious, and none involving pedestrians, even though there is substantial foot traffic there. He said most accidents took place during the evening rush hour, and no alcohol was involved. He said the intersection is well marked, and there seems to be a good line of sight. “A four-way stop will slow everybody down, and that might solve a lot of the problem,” said Councilwoman Anita Bozzo. The other option discussed would have been to reverse the current signs and make Hopper the through street and post stop signs on West Prospect. Traffic counts show that Hopper’s traffic volume is one-third greater than West Prospect’s, which is now the through street. Lt. Weber said stop signs on West Prospect might discourage its use as a cut-through and slow down traffic. “It might be bad for the pool to make Hopper a through street,” said Councilman Chuck Farricker. “If you reverse the signs, people might go through them on West Prospect. Old habits die hard,” said Councilman Frank Palladino. Weber agreed, saying that was a concern when Center Street was changed. “But we had no problem by the pool when we put in the cones,” Weber added. Other options discussed but not considered practical at this time included installing solar-powered flashing stop signs, overhead flashing beacons, and rumble strips to alert motorists as they approach the intersection. Costs would be a factor as well, according to Administrator Gary Kratz. He said the borough had applied for a Safe Schools grant a few years ago to make some improvements on West Prospect, but had been turned down. Bozzo asked if crosswalks that light up when a pedestrian wishes to cross could be considered. Weber said that the municipality could be held liable if the system should malfunction and there is an accident. On the subject of pedestrian safety, Councilwoman Bozzo suggested something be done in front of the public library on East Prospect. Weber said raised crosswalks could be installed to slow down traffic, but, he said, the problem is getting pedestrians to use them. “Pedestrians share responsibility, but they don’t use the sidewalks,” Weber said.