T-Time Sugar Stiles Stop

[XLFD]

Over the years, I've seen a lot of questionable moves by local traffic engineers, who never seem to follow the rules (also known as warrants) of their bible, the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.  For example, the manual highlights in bright green the maxim that stop and yield signs should never be used for slowing traffic, but that's exactly the rationale used by Ludington's former Traffic Engineer, Mark Barnett when he put two additional stop signs at the intersection of Bryant & Washington.  This was aped by many advocates and other city officials in making that decision, despite it making the intersection less safe.  

The latest experiment is a temporary one decided by some unknown genius who looked at the T-intersection at Stiles and Sugar Grove Roads, and deduced that it would be best putting two stop signs on Stiles to add to the existing one where Sugar Grove meets it.  Both roads have speed limits of 55 mph and the intersection happens to be in a valley, where the traffic from every side has only a little more than the stopping distance at 55 mph (about 500 feet) before they actually are able to see the intersection.

A recent article in the MCP alerts us to the fact that this temporary change is due to US 31 highway maintenance happening just north of Scottville from the bypass to Sugar Grove Road, nearly four miles.  

Those familiar with the area who know of the closure would be well- advised to take the 'back way' between Ludington and Manistee (or vice versa) via Jebavy-Angling-Fountain-Stiles-Quarterline-Maple if they wish to avoid this unnecessary new hazard.  For one thinks that if a traffic study was conducted based on a model considering the increased traffic flow on Stiles and Sugar Grove Road due to the new detour, that the verdict of a knowledgeable traffic engineer would be to not have the new signs.  

Section 2B.04 of the manual gives guidance for intersection regulations and all point to a stop sign where it normally is, and this is standard for T-intersections because the road at the top of the T will always be the 'main' road (as it will minimally have all the traffic coming from the other road).  This is reinforced in their training toolkit and explicitly in almost any Driving Test Study Guide you can find:

Without the three way stop, one can imagine the possibility of having traffic backups on Sugar Grove, with the stops one can imagine the possibility of having traffic backups along all branches of the 'T', with a lot of wasted time and brake pads figuring out who's next to go.  Unless there is something that the manual and common sense has overlooked, this was not the way to handle the detour.

The project could have been extended out three more miles to Fountain Road, which provides a natural detour as its four-way intersection has stop signs on each corner already and the topography is more forgiving.  If they don't plan on fixing that part of the highway, they could have always offered Fountain Road as an alternative detour anyway, to those who aren't aware of the challenges that may face them at the modified three-way intersection. 

As always, if anybody is aware of any official traffic engineering principle that makes this seemingly-senseless installation of stop signs appropriate, please share that and why it would work best here.  Otherwise, avoid this intersection as best you can.

[Willy]

In order for traffic to flow safely and have a minimum number of stop signs, I think the only place to put the only sign needed would be at the location  shown on the map below. That is the only lane that could cause an accident if vehicles are not controlled.

[XLFD]

A couple of people have pushed the point that semi trucks turning left from Sugar Grove to Stiles make the stop signs on Stiles Road almost necessary.  Limited visibility to turn safely and potential major backups on SG Rd. are claimed.  Having travelled through this section a few times, I still think that reducing speeds to around 40 mph before the Stiles Rd hills are crested with signs and temporary rumble strips can slow traffic enough to allow passage and keep backups on SG Road manageable, even more manageable a lot of the time.