A new all-way stop at the intersection of Prospect and Alapai streets and Iolani Avenue aims to reduce speeding and the number of traffic accidents in the area.

The all-way stop — which was created by installing new stop signs on opposite sides of Prospect Street — is the product of discussion among members of the Makiki community for decades, and was accelerated after the death of resident Elmer Milikini in a traffic incident in January.

“This stop sign has been 40 years in the making. Community members have been decrying the dangerous nature of this intersection for years, and finally, neighbors have some relief and some sense of safety,” City Council member Tyler Dos Santos- Tam said at a news conference Wednesday.

Dos Santos-Tam said that Prospect Street is used by many motorists as a bypass to get around the H-1 freeway and that signs will be placed approaching the intersection to remind drivers of the change.

The Department of Transportation Services also will monitor the impact of the signs.

Possible projects to address the issue were discussed at an April community meeting that included Dos Santos-Tam, Makiki Neighborhood Board chair Ian Ross and members of the Department of Transportation Services. The Makiki Neighborhood Board passed a resolution in support of an all-way stop installation in September.

“It was just a little over a year ago today that a tragedy happened at this corner, and to be able to see us come together to provide safety is great,” Ross said. “The new signs might be spelled S-T-O-P, but when I look at them, I read I-M-U-A, as we move forward together towards a safer community and one that is more responsive to community needs.”

Dos Santos-Tam then worked with the Department of Transportation Services to find funding for the project. Jon Nouchi, deputy director of the department, said that the city is “pleased to be able to deliver solutions on some of our oldest roadways in our oldest neighborhoods to bring them up to modern safety standards.”

“There were a lot of challenges to overcome here with this nonstandard intersection,” Nouchi said.

“We’re very grateful to Council member Dos Santos- Tam for organizing the neighborhood, very grateful to the neighborhood board for bringing everybody to the table so that we could talk about all the possible solutions and arrive at something that does work for the neighborhood,” Nouchi added.

Ross said that other traffic safety improvement projects are also in the works, albeit in “the most preliminary planning stages,” including a potential modified roundabout known as a “bean about” and the implementation of speed humps.