Ten days after a pedestrian was struck and killed while trying to cross West Lake Avenue at Madison Avenue, City Council introduced a measure to make the intersection a four-way stop amid broader efforts to address traffic city wide.

The governing body unanimously (6-0) approved an ordinance (O-8-18) to install solar-powered four-way stop signs at the intersection during its regular meeting last night, with final adoption and a public hearing expected at next month’s meeting, June 11.

Police Chief John Rodger briefed City Council last night on the plan to install four, solar-powered, flashing stop signs at West Lake and Madison avenues as well as a traffic-calming tool kit that soon will be available on the Rahway Police Department website. Currently, the intersection has stop signs along West Lake Avenue; motorists traveling Madison Avenue do not have to stop.

Rodger said the traffic-calming tool kit was developed out of plans used in other places, including Hoboken and California. It’s something the department has been working for some time, starting with downtown, where there have been issues around crosswalks, Rodger said. The tool kit details steps to follow for how to process citizen complaints and concerns, where to find funding or grants to pursue, and traffic-calming measures like bumpouts and day lighting.

For example, one resident complaint might bring out a radar sign while a gaggle of 30 complaints might warrant a more serious look about enforcement or even an examination by the Engineering Department. The tool kit also includes options that might not require City Council approval.

The city is likely to employ daylighting near crosswalks downtown, particularly at Main and East Cherry streets, which has been a problem, the chief said. Daylighting involves removing parking spaces adjacent to curbs around intersections to minimize conflicts, increasing visibility for pedestrians and drivers.

Rodger said the department is aware of secondary issues that might arise, with motorists likely aiming to avoid the four-way stop and cutting through other neighborhood streets, so enforcement then will focus on adjacent areas like Jensen Avenue and Russell Avenue. The stop signs can be installed as soon as funding and City Council approval are granted, he said.

Last year, the Police Department issued about 600 tickets on Lake Avenue but with four to five police officers working at any given time, if they’re all on Lake Avenue, then enforcement might be lacking on other problem areas, like Hazelwood Avenue or, Rodger said. That’s why it’s important to address the problem in other ways, he added.

The median speed on Lake Avenue is 31 mph but “that’s not really an enforceable number,” Rodger said, adding that 36 in a 25 mph zone is still difficult to enforce in court given issues with radar machines. Usually, 40 mph in a 25 is an acceptable level to pursue in court, he said.

The project will cost about $18,000, which isn’t currently budgeted for but City Administrator Cherron Rountree suggested that a surplus in capital bonds could cover the cost. Other measures would be costlier, with Rodger suggesting a traffic signal would cost $400,000. Speed humps cost about $9,000 each and the city can install them if traffic is less than 3,000 vehicles a day. Since Lake Avenue has as many as 10,000 vehicles a day, Rodger said that would require state Department of Transportation (DOT) approval. He suggested speed humps could be considered locally for smaller streets.

About a half-dozen citizens addressed the governing body during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s meeting. Christinia La Verde of Hemlock Street started an online petition that has garnered almost 1,400 signatures requesting City Council to take action on the Lake and Madison Avenue intersection. She suggested the city also consider a traffic study and other measures, such as rumble strips and increased enforcement, not only at that intersection but any other similar challenges citywide. A Campbell Street resident, who works as a crossing guard at Madison and West Lake, said whatever the council does, it will be a blessing but also suggested that traffic likely will back up quite a bit with a four-way stop at the intersection.

“We can only do so much as a city,” Mayor Raymond Giacobbe, Jr. said, suggesting that pedestrians be aware of their surroundings but also to encourage family and friends to slow down while driving. “It’s not just one solution, it’s everything,” he said, adding that the tool kit will be an avenue for citizens to have a voice.