(Atlantic) The Atlantic City Council voted 5-1 on the first reading to amend an ordinance that would convert the intersection at 22nd and Olive to a four-way stop. The intersection is currently a two-way stop on 22nd Street only.
The Community Protection Committee met last month and recommended the City Council change the intersection to a four-way stop. One of the issues is northbound traffic on Olive Street, including large trucks traveling through the intersection at a high rate of speed. The committee is concerned that a serious collision could occur in this area.
Councilman Richard Casady voted no on the first reading of the ordinance. “People have approached me from both sides of the issue,” said Casady. “The people living in city limits along Olive Street say vehicles are traveling at a high rate of speed and they would like to see the stop signs. Individuals living outside the area that travel the road in and out of town don’t want a four-way stop.”
Dale Retallic lives south of the city limits. He and his neighbors travel the roadway several times a day. Retallic speaking for himself and his neighbors approached the City Council towards the end of Wednesday’s meeting and asked them not to pass the proposed ordinance sometime during the next two readings. “I live south on Olive, and of all the neighbors I’ve talked to except for one, are not in favor of making this a four-way stop,” said Retallic. “This is a 35-mile an hour speed limit, and if they’re going too fast, give them a ticket, that’s how you slow them down.”
Retallic says the large trucks hauling gravel from the pit south of Atlantic aren’t using that route. “It’s going to be a problem to stop in the wintertime when ice accumulates on that hill,” said Retallic. “I don’t recall any accidents at that intersection by someone not running the stops signs on 22nd Street. Olive Street is not to be blamed. We are not in favor of stop signs on Olive Street.”
The amendment also includes a three-way stop at 32nd Street. No one spoke in favor or against that portion of the proposed ordinance.
The Council must act on two more readings before officially adopting the proposed change.
The Council is expected to vote on the second reading at the October 21st city council meeting.
