Sedgwick County to put new signals on 21st Street, but one commissioner disagrees

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Drivers on 21st Street, west of Wichita, will see a new type of traffic signal possibly sometime this winter. On Wednesday, the Sedgwick County Commission voted to try a warning system that has not been used before in the county.

New signals and signs would go up at 21st Street North and 167th West, an intersection that has a history of crashes, some fatal. Investigators say human error is often to blame.

It is a busy intersection, averaging 5,000 vehicles daily on 21st Street and 3,000 daily on 167th. The speed limit on both roads is 55 mph, but drivers average 65 mph on 21st Street and 64 mph on 167th Street.

The drivers on 167th are supposed to stop at 21st. After the fatal crashes, the county installed more prominent stop signs and flashing red lights. Also, traffic engineers conducted studies to see if the intersection needed to become a four-way stop or have traffic signals installed.

A new type of signal

Sedgwick County Director of Public Works Lynn Packer said the most recent study earlier this year showed the intersection does not meet the guidelines for a four-way stop or traffic signals.

Instead, the traffic engineers suggested an Intersection Conflict Warning System. Packer showed commissioners a picture of one being used in another jurisdiction.

Example of an Intersection Conflict Warning System (Photo provided by Sedgwick County)

Packer says Sedgwick County will add an overhead stop sign with alternating flashing lights on 167th Street. He said 21st Street drivers will see a yellow beacon that only flashes when drivers on 167th Street are approaching the intersection. Packer said the exact plans have not been drawn up yet.

“The main purpose of this warning system is to provide an additional layer of advanced warning to the traffic on 21st to be aware,” he said. “What we like about it is it’s not constant. It’s not consistent. It’s not always flashing yellow. It’s only going to flash yellow when that traffic is detected.”

Packer said a Federal Highway Administration study indicates that the system can reduce severe crashes at intersections by 20-30%.

Why the commission vote was 4-1

The county commission vote was not unanimous. Commissioner Jim Howell voted against the new warning system, which will cost an estimated $125,000.

“If someone accuses me of wanting to kill human beings, please understand that’s not true,” he said. “I’m willing to support a program that’s effective and efficient for the taxpayers to save lives.”

Howell said he has been studying options for the intersection for three months. He called the warning system experimental. He said Minnesota installed 56 of the warning systems and, after 10 years, decided they do not significantly reduce crashes.

“This is an experiment, it’s expensive, and I don’t think it’s going to solve the problem,” Howell said. “In fact, I think it’s going to make it worse.”

He said the new system could create a situation where a vehicle speeding and running the stop sign on 167th Street activates the yellow beacon on 21st Street. By the time a 21st Street driver gets to the intersection, it is possible they will not see any vehicle on 167th Street. Howell says drivers will begin to distrust the system.

He wants the intersection to be turned into a four-way stop at a cost of $6,000.

“Why’s it better? Because it takes two people to ignore the traffic controls for a fatality accident to happen,” Howell said.

Traffic engineers say changing from a two-way stop intersection to a four-way stop can cause more crashes while drivers get used to stopping.

“They’re used to a certain condition,” Packer said. “When you change that, it’s very hard to change those habits in the beginning.”

The county decided not to try rumble strips in the area because neighbors do not want the added noise.

Howell suggested creating a dip in 167th Street, similar to what crews carve out for a road overlay. He said it would only have to be a half-inch deep and a few feet long, just enough to get the attention of drivers on 167th Street.

Packer and the other commissioners did not comment on that suggestion.

The intersection is in Commissioner David Dennis’ district. Dennis spoke in favor of the plan but also said he supports turning it into a roundabout in the long run. He said that would take more money and several years to build.

“If we wait for that type of solution, how many more deaths are we going to have at this intersection?” Dennis asked. “We have to do something because one death is absolutely too many.”

He said the benefit of the new warning system is that if the county decides to replace it later, the parts can be recycled and used at other crossings. Dennis made the motion in favor of the new warning system, and the commission approved it. Howell was the only vote against it.

What’s next?

Packer said that now that the county commission approve the funds, the county will engage an engineering consultant for the project.

“Our goal is to have it completed this winter, but we will not know if that is possible until plans are developed and we start the procurement process,” he said.