BREA : Council Speedily Orders Stop Signs

The City Council this week approved installation of four stop signs at the Brea Mall and Brea Marketplace intersection at Birch Street.

The issue was added to the council agenda as an emergency measure just two hours before the 7 p.m. meeting. The topic came up at a council study session Tuesday afternoon when city traffic officials proposed installing a temporary signal at the intersection.

Construction of permanent signals is planned for early next year, but officials were concerned that increased traffic from a nearby high-rise hotel expected to open next month, combined with increased holiday mall traffic, would result in congestion and accidents.

Reacting to officials who said installation of temporary signals would take three to four weeks, Councilman Ron Isles asked why the traffic department had nothing planned for the interim.

“Why not do something now?” Isles asked. “We are on notice that there is a problem waiting to happen.”

Isles suggested the four-way stop, as well as traffic control by police during peak morning and afternoon hours.

Traffic engineer Warren Siecke told the council that because there wasn’t an equal flow in each direction at the intersection, it did not meet the generally accepted formula for a four-way stop and could expose the city to a liability risk in the event of an accident at the intersection.

The type of accident most expected would be a rear-end collision, Siecke said, and those involved could attempt to hold the city accountable for not observing the guidelines.