Prairie Life

Longtime local journalist Bill Radford and his wife, Margaret, live on 5 acres in the Falcon area with chickens, rabbits, dogs, cats, a flock of parakeets, goats, two horses and two ducks. Contact Bill at billradford3@gmail.com.

New four-way stop: mixed reviews
By Bill Radford

The electronic billboard promised change: a new traffic pattern coming at Falcon Highway and Meridian Road.

So people on the online community hub Nextdoor naturally wondered: What would that new traffic pattern be?

A roundabout? A four-way stop vs. the two-way stop that existed at the time?

“I certainly hope so,” one person posted concerning speculation that it would be a four-way stop. “I use that intersection alone every day and I was almost hit three times in just one week”

Well, that person got their hope fulfilled. A four-way stop recently debuted at the intersection; now it’s not just motorists on Meridian who have to stop, but also motorists on Falcon Highway.

Why the change?

“El Paso County received a request in August to look at the intersection control at this intersection through our Citizen Connect system,” Scott Barnhart, traffic operations manager for the county Department of Public Works, explained in an email. “The County conducted traffic counts and analyzed the intersection against all-way stop control warrants in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, MUTCD. This is a national standard that ensures all agencies use the same standards for roadway signs, pavement markings, and traffic signals. The warrant analysis indicated that all-way stop control was justified based on the number of traffic crashes.”

Reaction to the change was mixed on Nextdoor.

“Over the years, a lot of accidents have happened at this corner,” one posted. “I’m glad they finally put a four-way stop here.”

But among comments on the opposing side: “I live a mile from there and I bet the traffic will back up that far every morning and afternoon.”

Speaking of Nextdoor, one person posted a few months ago urging a four-way stop regulated by traffic lights at Falcon Highway and Curtis Road, “Where traffic from east and west doesn’t stop and traffic traveling north or south has a stop sign only.” That person was worried about traveling on Falcon Highway in that area and being T-boned by people not stopping properly on Curtis. They put it up for a vote on Nextdoor.

Once again, reaction was, of course, mixed.

“Absolutely we need a light!” one person posted. “That intersection is so dangerous.”

Some people, though, pointed out that there are red flashing lights also warning motorists on Curtis to stop. And many of those opposed to such a change noted the challenge posted by the big hill on Falcon Highway just west of Curtis during winter weather. As one noted: “My biggest worry would be winter driving; having to stop on that hill with ice and snow would probably make it almost impossible for large trucks to get going again.”

I don’t know if the person who posted their desire for a change notified the county, but the county has indeed looked at that intersection, Barnhart said in his email, “And found that warrants at that intersection were not met for either a traffic signal or for all-way stop control.”

(For me, that intersection always reminds me of a stupid stunt I witnessed there a year or two back. I was on Curtis, nearing the intersection from the south. A car roared up Falcon Highway from the west and started doing doughnuts in the intersection, spinning in crazy circles like the old cartoon Tasmanian devil. I backed away from the intersection, worried that the driver would lose control. Meanwhile, another car had accompanied the first and sat back just a bit. My guess: They were filming the daredevil action for TikTok or something.)

If you have a traffic-control change you’d like to propose in the county, Barnhart suggests using the county’s online Citizen Connect system (https://citizenconnect-portal.elpasoco.com/).

A traffic light, not surprisingly, costs more in time and money than a stop sign. “A stop sign change can be completed quickly (typically within 6-8 weeks),” Barnhart wrote. “A traffic signal will take much longer as a consultant will have to be selected to design the signal and funds will have to be allocated to construct the traffic signal. A typical traffic signal costs $650,000 to construct.”

So what’s my traffic control dream? As someone who hit a deer on Garret Road in my first months living in the county — and who regularly sees deer crossing the road at all times of day and night — I’d vote for a deer overpass or a deer-activated pedestrian crossing. Of course, getting the deer to cooperate might take some work!