Action Line #90603 -- Stop Signs Published June 18, 2009 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- Complaint: I am very confused as to why some intersections on base have four-way stop signs (AFN, Sulan Inn, Shoppete) and other have two (outside HQ building, west one block next to school). From what I observe, some of the four-way stops have very little traffic, yet some of the two-way stops are commonly busy. There seems to be no consistency in why we have to stop. I understand some of them, such as the ones near the kid's softball fields, or in base housing. Is there possibly a way to have all the alphanumeric streets as through fare with little to no stopping, and the crossing numbered streets to be the stopping streets, again with some exceptions? Is this an issue that can be looked at? It could greatly save on wear and tear of vehicles if they did not have to stop four times in a hundred yard distance. By the way, I know common sense dictates who needs to stop but, there are no stop signs as you leave 833/med group building and back onto the main streets. Maybe we can take a few of the four-way signs and put them up leaving the parking lot. Response: Although it may look like there is no method to the madness of stop signs, there is much thought that goes into the proper placement of stop signs around Incirlik. The base Traffic Circulation Plan designates primary and secondary traffic routes based on vehicle and pedestrian volumes. The primary routes support access to and from the main gate and the flightline /industrial areas of the base. The designated primary routes are A Street, E Street, 1st Street, 2nd Street, and 7th Street. The primary routes have higher volumes of traffic during the morning and afternoon hours as personnel enter/exit the base and travel from the housing areas to their work centers. We typically do not post stop signs on primary routes. The diagram below illustrates the primary and secondary traffic routes. Secondary streets, such as D Street, have posted stop signs when crossing primary routes, such as 2nd Street. There are some exceptions. Due to the high volume of pedestrian traffic, the intersections near the Sultan's Inn and Shoppette have four-way stops for safety considerations. As far as stop sign placement at parking lots, general driving practice dictates that vehicles exiting driveways and parking lots must yield to oncoming traffic, therefore stop signs are not required.