Persistence paid off Monday night for a group of parents who were convinced of the need for stop signs at two Walnut Street intersections near the elementary school.

After many committee and board meeting discussions about pedestrian safety, the board of trustees approved a change in the village's vehicle and traffic laws that would make the Walnut Street intersections at Susquehanna Avenue and Delaware Street all-way stops.

At the same time, the mayor and board agreed to form a committee to study the walkability of the entire village after hearing that problems were not confined to school-age children near the elementary school.

"We're really, really happy," said Sarah Stewart, one of the mothers who spearheaded the effort after witnessing a near miss between students and a pickup truck last fall.

Stewart and other mothers she enlisted in her campaign began attending police committee meetings to find out what could be done and Monday was the culmination of what she described as a sometimes frustrating experience.

"The process works, but it almost seems as though we had to have an army of supporters to be heard," she said.

The parents were joined by others who told the board that pedestrian safety is an issue throughout the village and should be addressed as well.

Jim Brophy said during Monday night's public hearing that the stop signs would be a band-aid.

"It's not going to solve the problem," he said. "What we need, I think, would be an overall survey."

Tony Scalici, who described himself as a very active walker, said he endorsed the stop signs and that it is difficult to get across Walnut Street at times.

"In addition to stop signs, I think the village needs to be aggressive about marking roads," he said, adding that traffic is mushrooming in the village.

"It (stop signs) is a band-aid and it can't be the only thing we do, but it's a good band-aid. I hope this is the first step in looking at the whole village," said parent Kate Leonardo.

She was joined by other mothers who spoke in support of the stop signs.

"I don't have to tell you how I feel about the stop signs," Stewart commented during the public hearing.

Brenda Berstler, the director of the Walking Example Group, said she thought the stop signs were a good idea and believed a study of the village was in order.

Trustees voted unanimously for the all-way stop at Walnut and Delaware Streets, and all but Glenn Hubbell voted for the stop signs at Walnut Street and Susquehanna Avenue. Hubbell expressed concerns that the signs may cause problems at that intersection.

Following the approval, Stewart asked how long it would take to get the signs installed and mayor Carol Waller assured her that they would be in place as soon as possible.

On Tuesday, Stewart said she intends to approach the school and offer to talk with students about the coming change in traffic flow at the two intersections.

The board also approved a no parking provision on the north side on Elm Street from Pioneer to Delware Streets and a prohibition against parking vehicles over 20-feet in length anywhere iin the village except in designated areas.