The following is a press release written by Desiree DeMolina for The City of Bloomington.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2025
Bloomington, Ind. – The City of Bloomington will reinstate all-way stop control at Morton, Washington, Lincoln, and Grant Streets along 7th Street to enhance safety for all roadway users. Installation is set to begin the week of March 3, with the changes expected to take effect by Thursday, March 6. While crews aim for full implementation by the end of that day, work may extend into the following week if needed.
“This change reflects a data-driven approach towards improving safety at these locations,” said Andrew Cibor, City Engineer. “We recognize that change can be challenging and that the stop signs were removed to create an efficient multimodal east/west corridor, but our priority is to ensure that all users—drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and transit riders—can navigate 7th Street and its intersecting streets safely.”
Cibor emphasized that in addition to an in-depth review of traffic and crash data, the City received input from stakeholders, including community leaders, Bloomington Transit, and public safety professionals like the Bloomington Police Department, who have expressed a desire to reinstall all-way stop control at these 7th Street intersections.
The City is implementing all–way stop control at these four intersections through a 180-Day Order, a standard administrative measure allowing temporary traffic adjustments while officials assess long-term changes. This approach is being taken to address a documented crash pattern, respond to demonstrated support for the change, and improve traffic conditions during the bike lane closure associated with the Poplars redevelopment project.
The 7-Line project, completed in 2021, introduced a protected bicycle lane and adjusted stop sign locations to enhance east-west mobility. Since then, traffic data has been regularly assessed, and observations have indicated that reinstating all-way stop control at certain intersections may support safer and more predictable travel for all road users.
A similar measure was applied at 7th and Dunn Street in April 2023 under a prior 180-day order, resulting in a significant reduction in crash frequency at that location. The City will continue to monitor traffic patterns to assess the impact of this change. While this change is expected to improve overall safety and reduce corridor-wide crashes, all road users are encouraged to remain attentive, follow traffic law, and be mindful of others on the road.
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