CCP507 Stop signsCITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
Subject: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF STOP SIGNS
1 of 11 9/3/96 507
Stop signs are installed to establish right-of-way at intersections, reduce vehicle delay and
decrease accidents. Stop signs are placed at entrances to designated through highways or at
any intersection designated by resolution as a stop intersection in accordance with Section 4-
6.707 of the Municipal Code. All-way stops are usually installed at the intersections of streets
with similar traffic volumes or where justified by other criteria.
Only those intersections meeting certain criteria should be considered for stop signs. The
criteria contained herein have general national acceptance as factors to be analyzed to
determine where stop signs should be installed. In special situations, stop signs may not be
advisable because of the adverse effect they could cause in a total area traffic pattern, despite
other justifying factors.
It is the policy of the City Council that the installation of stop signs shall be made using
engineering judgment based on the following criteria, and that such analyses, measurements,
and computations as may be required in determining the appropriate traffic controls shall be
the responsibility of the City Traffic Engineer or his/her designee.
CRITERIA
A. 2-Way Stop Control Installation Criteria
The total possible points are 30. The installation of 2-way stop control is justified with a total
of 15 points.
1. Accident Experience - 9 points possible.
CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
Subject: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF STOP SIGNS
2 of 11 9/3/96 507
Three points are assigned for each accident susceptible to correction by stop
signs that occurred during the previous year. The 15-point requirement may be
waived and stop signs installed based entirely on accident experience.
2. Visibility Conditions - 9 points possible.
Where the critical approach speed to the intersection is less than 20 miles per
hour, 1 point shall be assigned for each mile per hour under 20 miles per hour.
The 15-point requirement may be waived and stop signs may be installed by the
critical approach streets of 10 miles per hour or less.
CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
Subject: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF STOP SIGNS
3 of 11 9/3/96 507
3. Traffic and Pedestrian Volumes - 9 points possible.
Points are dependent upon the 24-hour main street volume and the peak hour
side street volume. The side street volume also considers pedestrians crossing
the side street during the peak hour. The following table shall be used to assign
points.
POINT ASSIGNMENT TABLES FOR TWO-WAY STOP SIGNS
Traffic and Pedestrian Volumes:
Total of Main Street Approach
Vehicular Volumes
Combined Total of Side Street Approach
Vehicular Volumes
and Pedestrians Crossing the Side
Street Approaches
24-Hour Volume
Points
Peak-Hour Volume
Points
0-500
501-600
601-700
701-800
801-900
901-over
0
1
2
3
4
5
0-24
25-49
50-74
75-99
100-over
0
1
2
3
4
4. Special Conditions - 3 points possible.
CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
Subject: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF STOP SIGNS
4 of 11 9/3/96 507
Special conditions include, but are not limited to schools, fire stations,
playgrounds, steep hills, bus routes, strip commercial districts, parks, libraries,
hospitals and post offices. Points are assigned on the basis of engineering
judgment. The 15 point requirement may be waived and stop signs may be
justified based entirely on special conditions if, in the determination of the City
Traffic Engineer, the special conditions are critical to the health and safety of the
community.
CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
Subject: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF STOP SIGNS
5 of 11 9/3/96 507
B. All-Way Stop Control Installation Criteria
The total possible points are 50. All-way stops may be installed when justified by 25
or more points at intersections that include a street classified as "Major". At other
intersections, 20 or more points is sufficient.
1. Accident Experience - 15 points possible.
Three points are assigned for each accident susceptible to correction by an all-
way stop that occurred during the previous year. The 25-five point and 20-point
installation requirement may be waived and an all-way stop may be justified if five
or more accidents have occurred during the previous year and attempts using
less restrictive controls have not corrected the problem.
2. Special Conditions - 5 points possible.
Special conditions include, but are not limited to schools, fire stations,
playgrounds, visibility conditions, steep hills, bus routes, strip commercial districts,
parks, libraries, hospitals, post offices, pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle circulation
patterns and other conditions that may be identified by the community. Points are
assigned on the basis of engineering judgment. The 25- point and 20-point
requirements may be waived and an all-way stop may be justified based entirely
on special conditions if, in the determination of the City Traffic Engineer, the
special conditions are critical to the health and safety of the community, or if the
criteria for the installation of traffic signals has been met in accordance with
CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
Subject: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF STOP SIGNS
6 of 11 9/3/96 507
manual on uniform traffic control devices warrants.
3. Traffic Volumes - 15 points possible.
Points are dependent upon the magnitude of vehicular volumes entering the
intersection from the main street approaches and the highest-volume side street
approach during the four highest hours of an average day. The following table
shall be used to assign points.
CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
Subject: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF STOP SIGNS
7 of 11 9/3/96 507
POINT ASSIGNMENT TABLES FOR ALL-WAY STOPS
Traffic Volumes:
Main Street Approaches
Highest-Volume Side
Street Approach
4-Hour Volume
Points
4-Hour Volume
Points
0-400
401-600
601-800
801-1000
1001-1200
1201-2600
2601-2900
2901-3200
3201-3500
3501-3800
3801-over
0
1
2
3
4
5
4
3
2
1
0
0-200
201-300
301-400
401-500
501-600
601-700
701-800
801-900
901-1000
1001-1100
1101-over
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
4. Traffic Volume Difference - 10 points possible.
All-way stops operate best when the traffic volumes on both intersecting streets
are nearly equal. The traffic volume difference is calculated by subtracting double
the highest volume side street approach from the total of the main street
CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
Subject: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF STOP SIGNS
8 of 11 9/3/96 507
approaches using the four highest hours of an average day. If the result is a
negative number, then use a traffic volume difference of zero for the purpose of
assigning points.
CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
Subject: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF STOP SIGNS
9 of 11 9/3/96 507
Traffic Volume Differences
(4-Hour Count)
Points
0-150
151-300
301-450
451-600
601-750
751-900
901-1050
1051-1200
1201-1350
1351-1500
1501-over
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
5. Pedestrian Volumes - 5 points possible.
Points are assigned based on the volume of pedestrians crossing the main street
approaches during the four highest hours of an average day.
Pedestrian Volumes:
Pedestrian Volume Crossing
Main Street Approaches
(4 Highest Hours)
Points
CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
Subject: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF STOP SIGNS
10 of 11 9/3/96 507
0
1-50
51-100
101-200
151-200
201-over
0
1
2
3
4
5
CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
Subject: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF STOP SIGNS
11 of 11 9/3/96 507
6. School Crossings
Street crossings, which are the primary access to elementary and middle schools,
and which do not exceed two lanes of traffic, and which do not exceed 10,000
vehicles per day, shall warrant an all-way stop if the number of school children
using the crossing exceeds 200 in any one-hour period of an average day.
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