Dearborn Heights installing 250 flashing stop signs after 12-year-old boy's death
Officials in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, hope a new flashing stop sign will encourage drivers to fully stop after a 12-year-old boy was hit and killed while riding his bike.
Joey Smith was heading home from a football game in October 2022 when he was hit near Pardee Elementary School. Last year, community members honored Joey with a ghost bike on the corner of Annapolis Street and Pardee Avenue.
"We want to honor those that have lost their lives because of rolling a stop sign, and so the first of hundreds of stop signs are coming up at the south end on the corner of Pardee and Annapolis," said Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun.
The signs are solar-powered, and the city is planning to install a total of 250, starting around schools and parks. City officials said they should run without much upkeep for the next five to 10 years.
"We're reminding you that you have to come to a complete stop, and this is also a reminder that we know that these are the areas that are extremely important because they're where our children are going to school, it's where our children are playing in the parks," said Baydoun.
The stop signs are more eye-catching, but officials admit they're not a perfect solution.
"I've heard both ends of the spectrum, you know. Hey, it doesn't matter if it's flashing or if it's a regular stop sign. If it can make one person stop, then it's done its job," said City Councilmember Tom Wencel.
The upgraded stop signs were paid for in part by the Safe Streets for All grant, with the remainder funded by the Major Local Roads Fund.
"We would like to be known as Dearborn Heights, the safest city in the country. That's our goal," he said.
Officials said their work won't stop with these flashing stop signs. They want to make sure all roads in Dearborn Heights are safe for bikers, pedestrians, and drivers alike.