The Story Behind Jason Street’s Four-Way Stop In Pittsfield

If you've driven through the four-way stop on Jason Street in Pittsfield, you might have wondered: Why is there a stop sign here? Not one, but four, actually, at a jilted intersection in a residential area.

What's more - if you've been pulled over there recently, you're not alone, police have been cracking down hard on drivers who roll through.

The Story Behind Jason Street's Four-Way Stop In Pittsfield

The origin of this 4 way stop story goes back to the 1990s, and it involves a longtime city council president who got fed up with cars hitting his house.

Berkshire County Sheriff Tom Bowler explained the history on the air Monday morning, recalling when Joe W. Ryan, who served as city council president and lived on Jason Street, pushed for a solution to a dangerous speeding problem.

"Ryan wanted to close off Jason Street with jersey barriers at that bad turn at the top of the hill coming down from West Street," Bowler said. "So you would have a dead end street coming from Route 20 and coming from West Street."

The problem?

Ryan's home was repeatedly struck by speeding drivers who couldn't navigate the sharp turn. His solution was drastic: block off the street entirely with concrete barriers.

But the petition didn't go through. Neighbors on surrounding streets, particularly Roselyn and Sherwood Drive, feared that closing Jason Street would turn their quiet roads into the new main route between West Street and Route 20.

The compromise?

A four-way stop to calm traffic and slow speeds through the area.

Fast forward to last week, that four-way stop has become a hot spot for police enforcement. Officers have been stationed there recently, pulling over drivers who treat the stop signs as suggestions rather than requirements.

The message is clear: those stop signs aren't just there for decoration. They were put in place decades ago to protect residents, and police are making sure drivers remember that.