Lauren BoydWarren, MI, États-Unis
9 oct. 2025
Thank you for reaching out to the Indiana Department of Transportation with your concerns about the intersection of U.S. 20 and Quince Road in St. Joseph County. INDOT appreciates and takes seriously feedback from the public regarding potential safety concerns across the state road network.
This intersection and others throughout the U.S. 20 and State Road 2 corridors have been on INDOT’s radar, especially with increased traffic due to economic development projects happening in the area as well as INDOT’s resurfacing project on S.R. 2. With the resurfacing project now complete, motorists who might have been using U.S. 20 to avoid construction on S.R. 2 are returning to their normal travel patterns, which lightens to some degree the amount of traffic passing through U.S. 20 and Quince.
When considering an intersection for the potential addition of a traffic signal, there are many factors that get considered and it’s important to properly weigh them all. Traffic volumes, existing crash patterns, speeds at which motorists travel and the physical geography of the area are all carefully evaluated. Traffic signals are not inherently safety devices, rather their intent is to more efficiently move traffic. In fact, installing a traffic signal at an intersection that doesn’t warrant one can have a negative impact to safety.
Because of this, our traffic team has determined that a traffic signal would not be appropriate for the intersection of U.S. 20 and Quince Road. The biggest factor is, comparing this intersection to others of a similar type where a traffic signal is present, it’s clear that a signal at this intersection might decrease crashes of a certain type (failure to yield for traffic crossing U.S. 20 on Quince, for instance) but would also lead to an overall increase in crashes due to red light running and rear-end collisions. Those types of collisions also often have serious injuries and can lead to fatalities.
We don’t have to look too far away to find a traffic signal with an existing crash problem. S.R. 2 and Quince Road, for instance, has a traffic signal with a troubling pattern of crashes that has led INDOT to develop an intersection improvement project for that location that will see the signal removed. Further west, a signal was once in place at S.R. 2 and U.S. 20, an intersection that at one time had the highest rate of injury crashes in the state prior to an intersection improvement project.
When considering an intersection for an improvement project, our traffic team analyzes the crash data for a pattern that can be solved through roadway engineering. At U.S. 20 and Quince, there is not a pattern of crashes that points toward the need for a particular improvement.
Funding for safety projects is not an unlimited pool, and each year the District Traffic Engineers around the state select areas for improvement where INDOT can realize the greatest impact to safety with available funds.
Our team will continue to monitor the situation at this intersection, especially with additional economic development projects anticipated in the area.
Sincerely,
Matthew Deitchley
Deputy Commissioner
Indiana Department of Transportation – Northwest District
This intersection and others throughout the U.S. 20 and State Road 2 corridors have been on INDOT’s radar, especially with increased traffic due to economic development projects happening in the area as well as INDOT’s resurfacing project on S.R. 2. With the resurfacing project now complete, motorists who might have been using U.S. 20 to avoid construction on S.R. 2 are returning to their normal travel patterns, which lightens to some degree the amount of traffic passing through U.S. 20 and Quince.
When considering an intersection for the potential addition of a traffic signal, there are many factors that get considered and it’s important to properly weigh them all. Traffic volumes, existing crash patterns, speeds at which motorists travel and the physical geography of the area are all carefully evaluated. Traffic signals are not inherently safety devices, rather their intent is to more efficiently move traffic. In fact, installing a traffic signal at an intersection that doesn’t warrant one can have a negative impact to safety.
Because of this, our traffic team has determined that a traffic signal would not be appropriate for the intersection of U.S. 20 and Quince Road. The biggest factor is, comparing this intersection to others of a similar type where a traffic signal is present, it’s clear that a signal at this intersection might decrease crashes of a certain type (failure to yield for traffic crossing U.S. 20 on Quince, for instance) but would also lead to an overall increase in crashes due to red light running and rear-end collisions. Those types of collisions also often have serious injuries and can lead to fatalities.
We don’t have to look too far away to find a traffic signal with an existing crash problem. S.R. 2 and Quince Road, for instance, has a traffic signal with a troubling pattern of crashes that has led INDOT to develop an intersection improvement project for that location that will see the signal removed. Further west, a signal was once in place at S.R. 2 and U.S. 20, an intersection that at one time had the highest rate of injury crashes in the state prior to an intersection improvement project.
When considering an intersection for an improvement project, our traffic team analyzes the crash data for a pattern that can be solved through roadway engineering. At U.S. 20 and Quince, there is not a pattern of crashes that points toward the need for a particular improvement.
Funding for safety projects is not an unlimited pool, and each year the District Traffic Engineers around the state select areas for improvement where INDOT can realize the greatest impact to safety with available funds.
Our team will continue to monitor the situation at this intersection, especially with additional economic development projects anticipated in the area.
Sincerely,
Matthew Deitchley
Deputy Commissioner
Indiana Department of Transportation – Northwest District
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