Petition for

•  A four-way stop on Fortner Street & Merrill Avenue
• Two speed bumps on Fortner Street
• More stop sign and traffic enforcements on Fortner Street, Gable Drive, Merrill Avenue, Lippert Avenue, Mardis Street

We have two public schools in the vicinity, James Leitch Elementary and Warm Springs Elementary. Every weekday, there are dropoff and pickup backups on Warm Springs Blvd & Lippert Avenue and Warm Springs Blvd & Pontiac Way.

In order to avoid these backups, many parents use Fortner Street. They speed through Fortner Street, especially if they are getting late. We have not used a speed radar to measure exact speed, but could definitely say the cars seem to be going at least 50 mph against the 25 mph limit. Most of these cars won't even stop for pedestrians. There are hundreds of kids walking through Fortner, going to and coming from these schools. So it is an accident waiting to happen, potentially fatal. It is not a matter of if, but when.

During evening rush hour, especially if there is backup on I-680 or Warm Springs Blvd, transient cars speed through Fortner -> Lippert -> Fernald to take I-680, to save a few mins. During that time, many neighborhood residents take evening walks, kids bicycling etc. Again this is fatality waiting to happen. Drivers (local or transient) don't stop at Stop signs, but just speed through at regular speed!! At best they do a rolling stop.

In the interest of public and neighborhood safety, we the concerned residents request you to –

• Install a four-way stop sign on Fortner Street & Merrill Avenue 
  Currently, there is a two way stop sign for Merrill Avenue and Mardis Street, but Fortner traffic does not have to stop. Please extend this to a four-way stop.
• A speed bump between the proposed four-way stop (on Fortner Street & Merrill Avenue) and Gable Drive.
• A SECOND speed bump between the proposed four-way stop (on Fortner Street & Merrill Avenue) and Lippert Avenue.
• More police presence and traffic rule (especially stop sign) enforcement in the Warm Springs area, particularly on all roads leading to these schools especially during the morning drop off and afternoon pick up times
• Enforcement - Coming out of Warm Springs Elementary, it is a Right-only turn on Lippert Avenue. But almost all parents ignore this and either drive straight onto Fortner (towards Gable) or left onto Lippert which worsens pickup traffic bottlenecks on Lippert.