That was a conclusion of a traffic study conducted by city staff after the school opened in September.
For the type of intersection it is, a four-way stop would be warranted if Algonquin handled more than 350 cars an hour for its four peak hours and had at least 140 cars an hour coming in from Field Street. Algonquin handles 362 cars during its peak hours, while 196 cars travel on Field Street during the same time.
The news will be a relief to parents in the area, who have been clamouring for the traffic signs. There wasn’t even a crossing guard at the intersection on the first day of school, and many parents had to help kids across the street until a guard was brought in Sept. 7.
A similar study conducted at the intersection of Algonquin and Tuscany Trail; however, found a four-way stop wasn’t warranted.
That was also the case for the intersection of Roy Avenue and Lamothe Street, near Carl A. Nesbitt School. In fact, the traffic study found that traffic volumes didn’t come close to the minimum requirements of a four-way stop.
But at the Oct. 22 meeting of the operations committee, Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann presented a petition from area residents calling for the stop signs to be installed.
She also presented a letter of support from the principal of Carl Nesbitt, and said people who live in the area know a four-way stop is needed.
It was enough to convince the committee, which voted 3-2 in favour of ignoring staff advice and installing the stop signs.
