Unsafe Encanto intersection has predictable results

“They put these new stop signs up yesterday [Sunday, September 4] and within a half an hour while I was there, there were two fender-benders,” said David Abbott, who lives in the Encanto area by 69th Street.

Abbott said that he witnessed the two accidents at approximately 8:00 p.m., while walking by his old playground by the Keiller Leadership Academy, at 7270 Lisbon Street.

Heading westbound on Lisbon after the street name changes to Jamacha Road, many drivers were surprised to see (or not see) the new stop signs and "stop" painted on the streets.

“They barely put these up yesterday,” confirmed Eddie Manriquez, 37, who was with his wife and daughter as they monitored “about 30 cars drive on through the stop signs [without stopping].”

Manriquez was concerned about the safety of his daughter and her classmates who attend the school.

The stop signs were installed in front of the crosswalks that lead to the school where Porter Street tees into Lisbon.

At approximately 6:00 p.m. on Labor Day, the driver of a blue truck said he crashed into an SUV whose driver “suddenly slammed on her brakes” at the same intersection because “she barely saw the stop sign which was hidden by the trees.”

Almost every civilian (non-police or non-city employee) present blamed the accidents on the stop sign that was covered by the leaves of the trees next to the sidewalk. The stop sign comes into clear view only when the vehicle is within “approximately 20 feet,” said a driver.

“The problem is that people already speed up and down this street going about 50 miles per hour [in a 25 mph zone] and are not used to the stop signs,” said Maira Jimenez, who lives in Skyline. "So many people almost rear-end me coming down that hill.”

“In the morning, when school starts, it’s going to be crazy,” said Manriquez as he watched cars go through the intersection without stopping. "And there goes another three more right there.”

Two police officers who came by the accident scene had no comment.

At approximately 7:30 p.m., a City of San Diego employee posted two additional (fold-up) stop signs on each side of Lisbon Street.

Within two minutes of monitoring if the additional signage helped, 15 cars disregarded the signs and went through without stopping; one car skidded to a stop upon noticing the signs.

Approximately two years ago, residents created a petition for the stop signs on Lisbon; 53 supporters signed it.

The petition, meant for the San Diego City Council and Streets Division, read: "To create and implement a safer walkway for residents and students to cross Lisbon Street between Woodrow Ave. and Imperial Ave. near Keiller Leadership Academy."