There soon will be more stop signs in Downtown Waycross.
Police Chief Tommy Cox told the Waycross City Commission last week he’s recommended changing four intersections in the city which currently have two stop signs to four-way stops.
Cox said he thinks making the intersections of Isabella Tebeau, Mary-Lott, Mary-Pendleton and Isabella- McDonald all-stop points from their current two-way status, would make the area safer for pedestrians and traffic.
The city is seeking to lower speeds on all streets through a variety of measures, City Manager Ulysses “Duke” Rayford said.
Cox said a survey of the downtown was driven by citizen complaints, data collection and personal observations of officers and city officials.
“Making four-way stops (at key intersections) leads to lower speeds,” Cox said.
He noted there’s a higher number of pedestrians on downtown streets because housing units in the Ware Hotel and Bunn Building are at capacity.
There are also new businesses bringing more people downtown, especially in the evenings.
Cox said the number of downtown events has increased. He said there were more than 30 this year.
“This leads to more people, congested parking and trouble seeing,” said Cox.
Rayford said the initial attention to downtown was the start on a longterm plan for improved safety in the city.
Commissioner Katrena Felder asked about cost estimates for the work at this stage and long range. Rayford said he’d have an idea after the first eight signs are installed since the cost essentially would be the same in each future instance.
