Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Allison Binder 949-724-6226

IRVINE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ADOPTS COUNCILMEMBER MELISSA FOX’S INITIATIVE FOR COMPREHENSIVE “STOP SIGN COMPLIANCE STUDY” TO INCREASE SAFETY OF IRVINE’S STREETS

Irvine, CA – On December 4, 2018, the Irvine Transportation Commission unanimously adopted Councilmember Melissa Fox’s initiative for a comprehensive “Stop Sign Compliance Study” for the purpose of increasing the safety of Irvine streets.

Based on the motion of Councilmember Melissa Fox’s appointee, Commissioner Ken Montgomery, the Transportation Commission voted 5-0 to support Councilmember Fox’s request to direct the staff to conduct a comprehensive “Stop Sign Compliance Study.”

Several members of the public spoke at the meeting to support Councilmember Fox’s request for this intensive study. They spoke of accidents and near misses caused by people running stop signs. The individual Transportation Commissioners all had personal experiences with stop sign runners causing accidents and even fatalities in their neighborhoods.

Irvine Police Department (IPD) Officer Brian Smith told the Commission that IPD issued 2000 stop sign violation citations this year-to-date; there have been 139 vehicular collisions involving stop-sign noncompliance; five of these collisions have resulted in an injury; IPD conducts high-visibility enforcement in areas during rush hour; and that high-visibility enforcement can net 50-55 citations over a two hour morning rush period.

City staff was directed to study how extensive “rolling stops” are at stop signs in Irvine; how many accidents result from “failure to yield” violations at stop controlled intersections; determine whether electronic enhancements to stop signs, like flashing beacons, improves compliance; review the current and best thinking from the nation’s police, traffic engineers, and public safety professionals on increasing stop sign compliance and traffic safety; determine whether other cities are achieving better stop sign compliance and, if so, what are they doing differently from Irvine; and to work with the Irvine Police and Public Safety to determine whether the current strategies used for stop signs compliance are as effective as can be.

City staff will determine whether the study can be performed in-house or whether an outside consultant familiar with this type of work is needed to do the study.  When the study is completed, the Transportation Commission will develop recommendations for the City Council.

“Residents of Irvine are very concerned — and rightfully so — about their safety and the safety of their children because of the consistent failure of drivers to come to a full and complete stop at our stop signs,” Councilmember Fox said. “Irvine is world-famous as a safe place to live and raise our families. But it won’t stay that way unless Irvine’s motorists obey the stop signs and respect pedestrians’ right-of-way. It’s not just our reputation as America’s safest city that is on the line. Our lives, and the lives of our children, are at stake.”

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