Parish puts up too many STOP as political favors, claims reader

Editor: I guess the parish council will never stop installing those 4-way stop signs that my research suggests are illegal.

Councilman Dickie Duhe has a proposal for the May 21st meeting to install 4-way stop signs at the intersection of 8th Street and Marino Drive in Norco.

I wonder who wanted this? A state law says that all governing bodies must abide by the Federal Manual on Traffic Control Devices.

The manual states that the criteria for a 4-way stop sign is that the intersection must have at least 300 vehicles per hour for a normal 8-hour period, or have five accidents in any 12-month period.

Not one single 4-way-stop intersection in the parish meets this criteria. It is all political. Just another vote.

The council members seem to think that they do not have to abide by state laws.

At the Dec. 21, 2006 meeting, Councilman Hilaire stated that the council can override state law. That's hogwash.

The parish public works director makes a determination of whether a 4-way stop sign is warranted.

In the 30 years I have been opposing these signs, I have never seen the director approve one. But the council ignores his findings.

The typical reason given by council members is that too many cars speed or children live in the area and may be playing in the street. Holy cow!!!!!

The streets are not playgrounds. Where are the parents? These are lame, cop-out excuses.

Mr. Duhe is also going to propose a 15-mph speed limit on 36 streets in Norco.

I wonder how many people in those subdivisions want that? They must be having a lot of accidents and injuries in these areas!

There are 62 stop signs in my area, thanks to a bunch of traffic experts of long ago.

I requested a stop sign in front of my house but was denied because I live in the middle of the block even though there was a speeding problem.

I wonder how the people feel that have to drive through the new stop signs on South Fashion Boulevard?

Councilman Hilaire had these four signs installed.

There have been no accidents or heavy traffic to warrant these signs - just another political favor, if you ask me.

A District 2 DOTD supervisor has asked the local parishes to stop installing these signs, but it has been to no avail.

Cletus Martin, Luling