Police will be stopping traffic at the Partition/Main intersection for up to 30 seconds at various times throughout the day in the coming weeks to measure the impact a longer cycle would have on traffic. If it’s not too bad, the village could use the findings to ask the DOT to program the signal to allow for a period when all vehicles must stop so pedestrians could cross safely.
Currently, there is no time when a vehicle cannot enter the intersection from some point. Traffic on the Inquiring Mind side of the streets has limited visibility of pedestrians, and vice versa. “You literally take your life into your own hands trying to cross that intersection,” said Police Chief Joseph Sinagra.
The interval might be 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 seconds, said the chief. The village wouldn’t be able to place walk or do not walk signs like the ones at the Main and Market intersection, and would instead have to alert pedestrians through other forms of signage.
The village would have liked a new sensor-activated light at the intersection, which would allow for pedestrian crossings with minimum vehicle backups, but the DOT said it had no plans to spend $1 million on that project.
The intersection originally had walk or do not walk signs, but they were removed in the 1980s because they were causing traffic backups. Sinagra said the village needs to address pedestrian safety now because, although the intersection was always confusing, the increased volume of pedestrians resulting from successful new businesses and events has increased the chances of an accident.
Meanwhile, the village will be getting a new light a stone’s throw away, at Washington Ave. and Main St. in front of Cahill Elementary. It will be installed next year. It was approved 12 years ago.
At the village trustees’ Sept. 16 meeting, Trustee Terry Parisian questioned why a light would be put at that intersection instead of addressing the more dangerous Main and Partition intersection issue.
However, Trustee Don Hackett said visibility on Main St. can be poor in the morning due to sun glare. Being near a school, that could be a danger.
The light is necessary, state officials have said, because of the number of traffic accidents at the intersection.