Thanks for your preliminary response, Gerald. I will pass it on to Kathi McConnell for further response.
Yours,
Craig Chadwick
Craig Chadwick
ODOT Speed Zone Specialist
Traffic-Roadway Section
4040 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, MS 5
Salem, OR 97302-1142
( (503) 986-3571
7 (503) 986-3749
Please let me know if I can be of further service!
craig.w.chadwick@odot.state.or.us
odotspeedzoning@odot.state.or.us
From: Gerald Fisher <gfisher@cityofmolalla.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2019 12:26 PM
To: ODOT Speed Zoning <ODOTSpeedZoning@odot.state.or.us>
Cc: FREITAG Kathleen M * Kate <Kathleen.M.FREITAG@odot.state.or.us>; PRUSAKIEWICZ Laura <Laura.PRUSAKIEWICZ@odot.state.or.us>; WINDSHEIMER Rian M <Rian.M.WINDSHEIMER@odot.state.or.us>; Dan Huff <dhuff@cityofmolalla.com>
Subject: RE: Speed Zone Investigation Completed on Cascade Hwy South (OR 213), for Request 8398, recommending new order
Hi Craig and Kathi,
I will have to discuss with my City Council, the Police Department, and the Fire District first, but I don’t agree with only dropping to 40 MPH. Molalla is an urbanized area, an incorporated City in Clackamas County, OR 213 has over 12K vehicles per day as stated in the All Roads Safety Audit on Page XX , OR 213 and Toliver Road is the #2 serious injury accident intersection in Region 1, and traffic with development under construction and coming soon will only increase the problems we have here due to high speeds.
Compare this section to the 35MPH zone in Mulino and the one in Marquam and it makes no sense that ODOT feels that higher speeds in an urban area are OK when they’ve granted lower speed in un-urbanized areas. If you set the speeds higher, drivers will drive faster regardless of what is around them. So you know, we have been documenting all of the accidents along this section of highway since the audit and the accidents continue and we anticipate the frequency and severity of these crashes to increase. I believe the only way to fix this problem is to slow motorists down through our urban area. ODOT is concerned about mobility and moving traffic. The distance that we are requesting the speed reduction in is approximately 5,900 lineal feet. Assuming a green light at the intersection of OR 213/OR 211, the time to drive this stretch of road at 40 MPH is 1 minute 41 seconds. At 35 MPH the time increases to 1 minute 55 seconds. So, I think a delay of 14 seconds of travel time is worth the potential increase in safety that the residents of this community would receive from the slowing of traffic through our town. ODOT and Clackamas County are part of a Drive to Zero campaign. Wouldn’t lowering the speed to 35MPH through a City that has a high accident rate fall in line with the spirit of the Drive to Zero campaign?
Please let me know what the date is for the hearing because I have no doubt that elected officials, representatives from the Police and Fire Departments, and other interested parties will want to weigh in on this decision. Thank you.
Regards,
Gerald Fisher, P.E. | Public Works Director
City of Molalla
117 N Molalla Ave. | PO Box 248 |Molalla, OR 97038
Office: 503.829.6855 | Direct: 503.759.0218
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From: CHADWICK Craig W <Craig.W.CHADWICK@odot.state.or.us> On Behalf Of ODOT Speed Zoning
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2019 8:45 AM
To: Gerald Fisher <gfisher@cityofmolalla.com>
Cc: FREITAG Kathleen M * Kate <Kathleen.M.FREITAG@odot.state.or.us>; PRUSAKIEWICZ Laura <Laura.PRUSAKIEWICZ@odot.state.or.us>
Subject: Speed Zone Investigation Completed on Cascade Hwy South (OR 213), for Request 8398, recommending new order
Speed Zone Investigation Completed on Cascade Hwy South (OR 213), for Request 8398, recommending new order
As you requested, a speed zone investigation has been conducted. A copy of the report indicating the recommended speed zoning is attached.
Please let us know if the speed zone recommendation is acceptable. If you concur, a speed zone order will be issued and a copy will be sent to you. If you do not concur, the matter can be presented at the next hearing held to decide contested speed zones.
Please respond within 30 calendar days to odotspeedzoning@odot.state.or.us.
If you have any questions, please contact us at (503) 986-3609 or (503) 986-3571.
ODOT Speed Zoning
Kathi McConnell, Traffic Investigations Coordinator
Craig Chadwick, Speed Zone Specialist
Traffic-Roadway Section
4040 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, MS 5
Salem, OR 97302-1142
( (503) 986-3609
( (503) 986-3571
Please let us know if we can be of further service!
odotspeedzoning@odot.state.or.us