Maplewood city council members on Tuesday agreed to try a new stop sign for southbound Sutton Boulevard traffic at Marietta Avenue.
A stop sign was added to northbound Sutton in 2014 to make it easier for drivers on Marietta to turn onto Sutton. It was given a 6-month trial, and has remained.
Acting city manager, Anthony Traxler, said he always tries to avoid adding stop signs, and that the main concern is that traffic could back up into Manchester Road. He agreed that it could be a good idea here.
Mayor Barry Greenberg said the problem comes when northbound Sutton drivers assume that southbound drivers have a stop sign, but they don’t.
A stop sign for the southbound traffic will be given a trial period to see if it helps.
Council members also heard a presentation about the railroad intersection at Sutton Boulevard, which is currently a quiet zone. Greenberg said after the meeting that the current 2-gate system is outdated. Newer systems use four gates.
The railroad uses a point system to determine if an intersection can be a quiet zone. Safety features such up-to-date gates contribute points, but accidents take them away. A new 4-gate system would allow the quiet zone to remain, but costs hundreds of thousands of dollars Greenberg said. He said there are funding sources.
Also in the meeting, the council approved full and Sunday liquor licenses for the new Boardwalk Waffles location, at the corner of Manchester and Sutton.
