Warning signs might help drivers remember to stop

The city has decided to put up more signs at an accident-prone westside intersection.

The signs, which inform drivers "Cross traffic does not stop," will be on each side of South Minnesota Street at West Fifth Street.

"I was rather surprised," said Barbara Silberman who, with her husband, John, live next to the Fifth-Minnesota intersection.

When Silberman suggested the city put up signs advising drivers to exercise caution, "I thought I was going to be told no," she said.

On the evening of Aug. 1, a vehicle ended up on its side in the Silbermans' front yard as a result of an accident in the intersection. The auto knocked down their fence, took out some shrubs and nearly struck an old Cottonwood tree before stopping in the yard, perilously close to their house.

The couple returned home from a trip in 1998 to find that their yard had been subject to a similar accident, she said.

Silberman wrote a letter to Mayor Marv Teixeira detailing what happened and offered the warning signs as a possible solution. Copies of the letter were sent to Sheriff Ken Furlong and Nevada Appeal.

"The traffic engineers looked at it and said 'let's put in the signs,'" said Linda Ritter, city manager.

Silberman has been at home to see five accidents in the intersection. Three times, she said, the drivers have commented about not knowing the traffic doesn't stop on Fifth street.

A reminder "might help," Silberman said.

There already are stop signs on each side of Minnesota. Other people living around the intersection have asked for stop signs on Fifth. This request is considered impractical, however, because there is a four-way stop at the next intersection, less than 200 feet away, at Fifth and Division streets, said Harvey Brotzman, senior engineer for the Regional Transportation Commission.

Another suggestion made previously, street undulations, could end up more annoying than helpful.

"I wouldn't want to be in an ambulance traveling over those things," Brotzman said of the traffic calming devices.

Cost for the warning signs shouldn't exceed $100 each. And most of that is to account for labor of installation, he said.

The signs "at least would give us a better chance," Silberman said.

Sheriff Ken Furlong, who grew up in the neighborhood, said it's good to hear signs are going up there.

He's not sure whether the signs will ensure all drivers use adequate caution when crossing Fifth from Minnesota, but he believes it certainly can't hurt. Some drivers, however, don't pay attention no matter what is done to draw attention, he said.

"I'll keep my fingers crossed," Furlong said. "Sometimes the simplest solutions have the greatest impact."

The Sheriff's Department has a hotline for people to report incidents when drivers aren't obeying traffic rules: 887-2020, ext. 5000.

• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.