Letter to the Editor: Questioning the wisdom of a four-way stop

An open letter to the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors:
Last week I read in The Standard about the Board of Supervisors’ decision to make the intersection of Old Stage Road and Old Highway 9 a four-way stop. Initially it seemed a peculiar decision and on further reflection I am puzzled as to why the decision was made.
Reviewing the DOT 2013 Traffic Counts shows an average daily traffic of 1610 cars on Old Highway 9 between Waukon and the intersection and 1190 between the intersection and Pole Line Road to the west. The average daily traffic on the section of Old Stage Road in question (between Old Highway 9 and (New) Highway 9) is 680. Old Highway 9 is also on rolling terrain where sight distances are often short. Finally, Old Highway 9 runs east to west, meaning that visibility approaching the new four-way stop will be difficult when the sun is low in the sky, particularly around the spring and autumn equinoxes and during the time of day when people are driving home in the winter. Glare from snow in the ditches and fields will further compound this problem during winter months.
My impression after considering this data is that safety on Old Highway 9 should be given priority and that a four-way stop at this intersection is going to significantly increase the chance of rear-end collisions on Old Highway 9. I am not a traffic engineer but I do suspect that these data are what lead the DOT to recommend installing LED beacons and 45 mph advisory signs rather than a four-way stop.
Finally, as a motorcyclist I am acutely aware that a rear-end collision at a four-way stop at this intersection is very likely to result in a fatality and on a personal level that is a scary thought.
My question to the Board of Supervisors is this: How did you arrive at the conclusion that making a four-way stop is the best choice for this intersection? It is not supported by the data and observations that I have made and more importantly is not supported by  a DOT traffic study; remembering that the DOT has quite a large amount of data and experience dealing with rural highway intersections. The decision thus seems illogical and I feel that issues of public safety deserve a logical thought and decision making process.
I also question what level of consideration has been given to other options. The LED beacons and advisory signs seem entirely reasonable and would be paid for by a DOT grant but seem not to have been seriously considered as an option. There are trees to the west of the intersection that impede visibility that could be removed. I generally do not favor of forcibly removing trees from private land but if this is truly a pressing public safety issue then surely removing the trees is an appropriate measure. Finally, the entire intersection could be rebuilt to allow for greater visibility. This will be much more expensive than free LED beacons but again, if this is truly a pressing public safety issue it should be considered as an option.

Benjamin Ross
Waukon