Residents’ concerns over uncontrolled intersections and high-speed drivers in a residential area brought debate to Monday’s Sterling City Council meeting.

“This whole kind of situation is why people don’t like government. Because we have to get this study done and we have to go through this process, and it’s just - it’s a stop sign,” said Sterling 2nd Ward Alderman Joe Strabala-Bright, whose comment came after two residents separately voiced concerns over the same intersection and council members debated at length over what could be done.

Rachel Padilla lives in Sterling on West 10th Street between Avenue E and Avenue F; both are uncontrolled intersections.

“Over the past year, and especially in the past few weeks, there has been an increase in car accidents. I feel the need to speak about this concern as there are several families on the block with little children, including myself,” Padilla said.

Padilla said she is concerned about high-speed traffic on the street and the uncontrolled intersection.

“With summer right around the corner, the kids are outside and up and down the block all hours of the day. I have lived here for five years now, and every day I witness cars flying down the street with no regard for the intersection being uncontrolled,” Padilla said.

Padilla urged the council to install yield signs at the intersection to try to slow the traffic.

“I am thankful that nothing tragic has happened thus far, but we can’t wait for something tragic to happen in order for a small change to happen,” Padilla said.

The next person who came up to comment was Marissa Rodriguez, who introduced herself to Padilla and the council as Padilla’s neighbor.

“We have now seen two accidents in the past few weeks. Today [May 4] was one with three children, so it really hits home for me,” Rodriguez said. “I think it’s really important to push this forward to get signs. What if someone was walking? What if we were walking with the stroller and someone gets hit at one of these uncontrolled intersections? We need to really move forward with something to protect our neighborhood and the safety of lives.”

Third Ward Alderman Josh Johnson said the city still is waiting to receive a $320,000 Safe Streets and Roads for All grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund a citywide traffic and pedestrian study. The grant was announced in November 2024, and the city still has not received the funds.

When asked by Rodriguez why the city needs to do a study in order to install stop signs at an intersection, City Attorney Tim Zollinger said the city is required to follow municipal code to install traffic control devices, such as stop signs or stoplights, at intersections.

“The state tells us that is what we have to do,” Zollinger said.

Johnson thanked Padilla and Rodriguez and urged them to continue to attend council meetings to keep action moving on the intersections, and he also urged them to bring their neighbors.

“Have your neighbors come and let us know what’s going on so we keep this ball rolling,” Johnson said.

After they left and during the aldermen and staff reports, Strabala-Bright and Johnson returned to the topic. Zollinger said the city cannot install stop signs or stop lights without a traffic study. If the city would do that without a government-funded study, any citations issued by the Sterling Police Department for stop sign or stop light violations at that intersection could be challenged in court.

“Every one of those citations would be attackable because the sign was not put up in accordance with state law, so the judge would throw the ticket out,” Zollinger said.

In answer to a question from Jim Wise, Alderman at Large, Zollinger said the city can install speed bumps, including temporary speed bumps, at its discretion and without needing to do a traffic study.

Wise said the area that the two residents mentioned has been the subject of concern.

“We know what intersections those are already,” Wise said. “It’s basically a 6-square-block area between Fifth and 10th, and about C and F. Those intersections over there are the most warranted, in my opinion, and those are the ones we hear the most complaints about.”

Strabala-Bright suggested the city look at accident data, asking Sterling Police Chief Pat Bartel to pull three years’ worth of accident statistics to identify the most dangerous intersections.

Bartel said he could do that, and Sterling Mayor Diana Merdian said the city would have Bartel gather the data and bring it to a study session so the council can discuss it.

“A comment that she made is we all too often wait for something catastrophic to make a change. That means someone getting severely injured or dying before we make a change. I would really rather not do that,” Johnson said.

“I agree,” Wise said.