Schenectady City government operations committee members on Oct. 20 authorized the city engineer to install up to two temporary stop signs on Kings Road and asked staff to collect data on the effect, amid resident complaints about speeding and recent engineering studies.

The measure, presented to the committee as a resolution under Chapter 248 of the city code, authorizes the city engineer to install temporary stop signs at "up to two locations as selected by the city engineer," with the intent that the signs be monitored and removed if they do not produce the intended safety benefits.

The item grew out of repeated resident complaints and petitions presented at neighborhood meetings. A longtime resident, identified in committee discussion as Mr. Collins, and other neighbors supplied video and photographic evidence to the committee and asked the city to act. Committee members also cited prior traffic work on Kings Road, including a lowered speed limit to 25 mph and sensor data. Committee members emphasized that enforcement and education would need to accompany any physical changes.

City staff told the committee the previous traffic study did not meet the engineering "warrants" for stop signs at the time it was conducted, but staff also said conditions can change and that additional interventions may be appropriate now. The committee discussed several traffic tools — temporary signs, flashing LED signs, radar speed displays and physical alterations such as curb bump‑outs — and asked the police and engineering staff to coordinate on data collection and enforcement.

Councilmember Aron read the resolution language on the floor, authorizing the installs and tying the action to Chapter 248 of the city code. The committee moved and seconded the resolution; members voted in favor and the committee agreed to proceed. Committee members said the signs should be installed for a defined test period with data collection to determine whether to make any installations permanent.

Separately, staff presented an initial sketch studying whether a short block of Front Street could be converted to one‑way traffic to address resident complaints about cut‑through traffic and deliveries. Staff said the block is short, mixed‑use and constrained by driveways and parking; making it one‑way could move traffic onto adjacent streets and shift problems to other blocks. Staff recommended conducting a field review and drafting two written options — a one‑way sign/cone trial or geometric changes such as bump‑outs — then circulating those options to neighborhood associations.

The committee asked staff to distribute the Front Street concepts to neighborhood associations and to request comments by the Wednesday before the next legislative conference so the ideas could be included in meeting backup material. Staff also said any formal traffic warrants or a fully engineered study would require budgeted traffic‑study funds.

What happens next: the city engineer will identify up to two locations on Kings Road for temporary stop signs, install monitoring equipment or use existing sensors, coordinate with the police department on enforcement data, and report results to the committee. Staff will prepare a short memo and refined diagrams for the Front Street one‑way option and circulate them to neighborhood associations with a comment deadline tied to the legislative schedule.