Sorry but this is really one of those GO SLOW and be careful intersections. Ultimately members of the community will decide what they want, but be careful of knee-jerk reactions. Do we want a plague of stop signs like you now have all over Derby, where the need for one was neither supported by accident data or fatalities? Look at what has been done on Hawthorne Ave. in front of Roseland Apizza. No high incidence of accidents, no fatalities, but folks didn't like the configuration because it was a legacy intersection - cow paths that eventually got paved. It doesn't align but it actually functioned pretty well. Someone didn't like it and requested a stop sign eastbound. The police installed it (on local roads this is the decision of the local traffic authority, usually the Chief of Police or Police Commissioners) and it immediately caused confusion and the accident ratio increased dramatically because drivers stopped at the new sign expected oncoming drivers to stop, wrongly assuming that they also had a stop sign, so they make left-hand turns directly in front of oncoming traffic! This has gone on for several years (and several serious accidents) until just last week actually, the Police installed a westbound stop sign. As an off-set intersection with angling approaches it actually functioned pretty well as it was with the 2 original stop signs. The addition of first 1 and then 2 additional stops made the intersection less safe as certain assumptions about what other drivers would do entered into the equation as opposed to the original "unsafe" configuration which made drivers feel more responsible for their own actions and less reliant on assumptions of what other drivers would do. Back then, drivers were being more careful and often that is the most important factor, more important than design, signage or signals.

I related this story because it predicts and informs the Academy Hill intersection performance. Adding a sign or a signal will likely cause drivers to rely more on their expectations of what other drivers will do and will predictably lead to less safe conditions. The irregular "design" of this interchange can only be "improved" by the redesign of the interchange. As this is a state road under the jurisdiction of the State Traffic Commission (STC) in consultation with the local traffic authorities, if pressed to do something by public perception rather than actual statistics that support a lack of safety, STC will redesign the intersection into a perfect "T", taking probably 2 buildings on the southeast corner of the intersection and a piece of Founder's Common to create a 90 degree "T" and clear sight-lines up and down Derby Ave. They will install 3 stop signs. There will be no signal not only because its more expensive to build and maintain but will diminish interchange performance due to the close proximity of the signal at Division St. and the town's will have lost the character of the center of the original community.

Be Careful. Go Slow. BE COURTEOUS to other drivers and this interchange will retain its character and perform more safely than it will with the addition of a stop sign. As far as anything the government can do, the most effective measure would be the strict enforcement of the speed limit and advance warning of crossing traffic ahead to drivers on Derby Avenue.

Planner,
I wish that people would be careful and courteous everywhere, but it seems to be less and less common. I'm not an engineer, so a stop sign seemed logical to me, but your explanation makes a lot of sense. I suppose strategically placed mirrors would be too confusing! I agree that Derby has too many stop signs in places that don't make sense. It just seems that an intersection where the oncoming traffic literally cannot be seen until it is in the intersection needs something more than reliance on all the drivers to drive more slowly.

Again, ultimately its a community decision. I enough people want something done, something will be done (e.g., the stop signs on Derby Ave. at Bank St.). I'm just urging a thoughtful debate. Unintended consequences always result from these situations, we need to really think about if the "solution" is worth it. Your regional planning organization (VCOG, in the derby train station, www.valleycog.org ) is the right place to raise your concern and begin the discussion.

I think if people were "more patient" and slowed down, we wouldn't need extra stop signs. Just saying...

Referred to CTDOT