Belvidere committee approves several stop‑sign changes after school and neighborhood safety debate

The Belvidere Committee of the Whole on April 13 approved multiple local traffic control changes following staff reviews, constituent requests and discussion about pedestrian safety near schools.

After staff presented traffic counts and accident history for Fifth Avenue at West Sixth Street (West Sixth ADT ≈3,150; Fifth Ave ADT ≈1,200), the intersection did not meet engineering warrants for a four‑way stop. Despite that, the council debated community concerns — including requests from the school district and multiple constituent complaints about speeding on Sixth Street — and voted to add two stop signs on Sixth Street at Fifth Avenue, effectively creating a four‑way stop at the intersection. Several council members cautioned that stop signs can create a false sense of security if drivers ignore them and urged continued enforcement.

At East Fifth Street and Caswell Street, staff recommended replacing existing yield signs with stop signs after finding low ADT (≈200) and two crashes in the 2021–2026 period. Council considered an amendment to create a four‑way stop, but that amendment failed on a tied roll call; the original motion to replace the yield signs with stop signs passed.

Council members discussed alternative safety measures, including crossing guards, traffic‑calming measures, and Safe Routes to School grant applications. Public safety staff noted use of speed trailers and enforcement patrols as complementary measures.

The committee’s actions will be returned in ordinance form for formal adoption and signage installation; staff and the school district were urged to continue coordination on crossing‑guard coverage and related pedestrian safety measures.