After what seemed like a lighting-quick decision, a four way stop sign was finally installed at the most accident-prone intersection in Spencer Estate.
Residents awoke on the morning of Wednesday, December 3 to find that two new stop signs were added to both the east- and west-bound intersections of Ampere Avenue at Stadium Avenue, creating a four-way stop that residents have been clamoring for many years.
Councilman Jimmy Vacca presented the Department of Transportation with data complied by the NYPD about the many accidents that have occurred at the intersection over the past four months which have required trips to the hospital.
“I can see that some of the motorists are a little hesitant as they approach the corner because they are not aware that there is now a stop sign on Ampere Avenue,” said Councilman Vacca on December 3, while standing at the corner.
“The Department of Traffic assured me they would install the stop signs by January 1, and this quick response is really fantastic.”
Vacca said it is not unusual to see motorists hesitating at a corner when a new stop sign or traffic signal is installed, and Vacca would know, having fought and won numerous battles over the years for stop signs, traffic lights, and speed humps, as well as for better bus service, graffiti prevention and clean-up, and funding senior centers.
Vacca said that the issue of cars speeding on Ampere Avenue, especially down the hill as they approach Stadium Avenue from Research Avenue, was the major concern of the Spencer Estate community, and that it was necessary to break up Ampere Avenue somewhere in the middle of its nine-block stretch. Vacca said he also personally lobbied Bronx DOT commissioner Constance Moran.
“The all-way stop sign was installed at Stadium Avenue and Ampere Avenue,” said DOT spokeswoman Nicole Garcia. “We studied the intersection and it met federal guidelines for its installation.”
Whether it was information from the NYPD, or federal gidelines, the people of the neighborhood were especially happy to see the signs.
“These stop signs were up today, and it is amazing,” said Al Carena president of the Spencer Estate Civic Association. “At the very least, people will know that there is a stop sign at the corner when driving down Ampere Avenue and slow down at the intersection. Councilman Jimmy Vacca did a great job in getting these stop signs put up in such a short amount of time.”
