Improvements have been made at the intersection of East Winter and Lake streets in Delaware in hopes of making the intersection safer for motorists. The flashing traffic signal, which previously signaled stops for Winter Street traffic approaching Lake Street, has been removed by the city.
Now, motorists will see flashing LED stop signs at the intersection along with advanced warning signage for all intersection approaches. The intersection’s operation will remain unchanged with the new signs as traffic traveling on Lake Street will remain continuous.
In a release from Access Delaware on the improvements made, it was suggested the previous configuration of the intersection could be confusing to motorists at times. Specifically, the release pointed out that if motorists weren’t able to see the crossing traffic’s signal, some would assume the signal was flashing red for all directions, rather than yellow for Lake Street traffic. As a result, motorists would, at times, pull into non-stopping traffic. Lee Yoakum, the city’s community affairs coordinator, told The Gazette there were four accidents reported at the intersection in 2020.
Along with the stop signs in the traditional position at the intersection, additional stop signs have been installed on the left-hand side of the road to provide maximum visibility for approaching motorists. “The goal in this situation is to make the stop sign as visible as possible, so the best option for that is to place the flashing lights directly on the stop sign,” the release states.
Placards notifying motorists that cross traffic doesn’t stop have also been added below the stop sign. The traffic on Lake Street will now see alerts for the approaching intersection with cross-road warning signage.
To stay up to date on projects and reports happening in the city, visit Access Delaware’s Facebook page or visit www.delawareohio.net/access-delaware.