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Area man seeing red over stop signs
by Dan Bialek
Bruce
Cooke doesn't want people stopping at stop signs in Manhattan Beach - he'd rather
see them yield.
The Redondo Beach resident has suggested that the use yield signs, rather than stop signs to slow traffice.
"These stop signs are sprouting up like mushrooms all over the city," Cooke told the Manhattan Beach Parking and Public Improvements Commission (PPIC) Tuesday night.
Cooke is a member of the National Motorists Association (NMA). The NMA and its 7,000 members support highway safety and motorists' rights. Cooke said that many of the stop signs in Manhattan Beach are not only obtrusive, but that they are also illegal.
He noted that the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) states that "stop signs should not be used for speed control." Stop signs installed to control traffic speeds are illegal, he argued.
"If a driver is involved in an accident at an intersection that has one of these illegal stop signs, they could sue the city," Cooke said.
Eric Skrum, Communications Director for the NMA, shares this opinion.
"We [The NMA] would like to someday have the funding to be able to pursue a case like this should one arise," Skrum said.
The city has a different opinion on the matter. Rob Osborne, Management Analyst for the city of Manhattan Beach, said out that while stop signs are not recommended as speed control devices, it's up to the city to decide where and when to use them.
"Caltrans puts out guidelines, but they are only guidelines, not regulations that cities have to adhere to. It's ultimately up to the discretion of the city," Osborne said.
Osborne said Cooke's description of the yield sign is inaccurate, as well. Cooke repeatedly referred to something he called a "stop-yield" sign. According to Manhattan Beach authorities, there are stop signs and there are yield signs, but no combination of the two exists.
"Even if [a stop-yield sign] did exist, we wouldn't use it because it sounds dangerous. We feel that Mr. Cooke might have misinterpreted the [MUTCD] manual," Osborne concluded. ER