By Tim Eberly
The city Department of Public Works recently installed a handful of stop signs at four different intersections in Havre.
The City Council on Dec. 17 approved its street and sidewalk committee's recommendation to install 10 stop signs. The signs were put in place on Thursday.
"It's going to be something for the general public to get used to," said Gary Schaub, deputy director of the Public Works Department. "You drive around town most of your life and you know where most of the stop signs are. Once (Havre residents) are aware of where the stop signs are at, it should be fine."
Two stop signs each were put in at the intersections of Eighth Street and 12th Avenue and 11th Street and Seventh Avenue after the state Department of Transportation conducted a traffic study last May and recommended the changes.
MDT's traffic study reported that from January 1996 to December 1999, 10 accidents took place at the intersection of Eighth Street and 12th Avenue. During the same time frame, eight accidents were reported at the intersection of 11th Street and Seventh Avenue.
Stop signs on the north and south sides of Eighth Street and 12th Avenue replaced yield signs.
A petition signed by local residents spurred the installation of stop signs on the east and west sides of 11th Street and 12th Avenue. The residents circulated the petition because of several accidents in the last few years at the intersection, public works director Dave Peterson said at the last City Council meeting.
Signs were also installed at the north and south side of 11th Street and Sixth Avenue.
In order to make 11th Street more of a thoroughfare rather than 10th street two stop signs were added to the north and south sides of 10th street at Sixth Avenue.
Allan Ost, maintainance specialist for public works, installed the signs two days after Christmas, while the weather was still fairly warm.
