Thank you for bringing attention to safety concerns at the intersection of Sturdevant and West 42nd Street. I visited the intersection on Friday morning to review the conditions myself and to better understand the traffic flow around the school.

The main concern of the petition appears to be northbound traffic, particularly as vehicles leave the school area. About 70% of the total traffic at that location comes from the school (eastbound). However, from my observations, nearly all cars exiting the school make a right turn at that intersection — and that’s where most of the potential conflict lies as I see it. Drivers who turn right at a T-intersection are looking to their left for oncoming traffic and sometimes don’t look for a pedestrian on their right.

It’s important to note that this intersection has been incident-free for the past 10 years, other than a minor incident where the back of a turning bus made contact with the back of a turning car, and overall traffic volumes, especially on the north-south legs, remain very low. Based on both local data and the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the location does not currently meet the criteria for installing an all-way stop.

One of my concerns is that a stop sign might give pedestrians a false sense of security, leading them to cross without checking for vehicles that might not stop as expected. In fact, studies show that stop signs in low-traffic areas can sometimes increase the risk of certain types of accidents or near misses if drivers become complacent.

If a three-way stop were to be considered, it would require a City Council vote, and the Council typically relies on recommendations from the engineering department. We take petitions like this seriously, and I plan to reach out directly to the petition starter to discuss these findings and hear more about the community’s perspective.

Thank you again for sharing your concerns. We all want to ensure the safety of students, pedestrians, and drivers, and we’re committed to continuing to review and evaluate this intersection as traffic patterns evolve.

Respectfully,
Gary Statz
Traffic Engineer | Department of Engineering and Capital Projects
City of Davenport