NEWS

 

A new traffic pattern has been unveiled at the busy intersection of Beaty and Armour Streets. For several weeks, motorists driving in either direction on Beaty Street who approached the intersection were greeted with a Davidson Police flashing road sign that declared, “New Traffic Pattern Start 3/4/24.” Two new stop signs and stop ahead signs have been installed for a few weeks but were covered with black plastic until March 5.

Sometime after 8:00 a.m. on March 5, the Beaty St. stop signs and stop ahead signs were uncovered, creating the new all-way stop at the intersection. Previously, there were only stop signs on Armour Street to stop traffic attempting to cross or turn onto Beaty.

On March 5 at 1:00 p.m., drivers were moving cautiously as they approached the intersection. All drivers observed around this time appeared to be stopping at the new stop signs, and there was no additional police presence seen. Community School of Davidson’s Upper School campus is located on Armour Street, as is the Armour Street Theater. Community School of Davidson students drive, walk, and bike through the intersection frequently as they enter and leave school.

The intersection of Beaty and Armour is located near the top of a slight hill, creating sight lines that are somewhat limited for drivers on Beaty. Previously, cars traveling on Beaty and approaching the top of the hill did not have much time to react to cars and pedestrians who might be entering the intersection from Armour Street. The new stop ahead signs will cause drivers on Beaty to begin to brake as they approach the new stop signs, slowing traffic and making the intersection safer.

According to the NCDOT’s website, “an all-way stop is an effective and cost-efficient way to improve the safety of an intersection and reduce the risk of serious crashes. Converting intersections into all-way stops has been shown to reduce fatalities and injuries by 77 percent.”