(Thanks to Camerafraud for the link).

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2011/11/portland_wants_odots_opinion_o.html
 
 
Portland wants ODOT's opinion on increasing Northeast Willow Street speed limit approaching Interstate 84
 

Published: Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 3:05 PM     Updated: Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 3:20 PM
 By Joseph Rose, The Oregonian 

The city of Portland has filed paperwork asking the Oregon Department of Transportation to take a look at the freakish Northeast Portland residential street/highway on-ramp that I wrote about a few weeks ago.  http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2011/10/freeway_entrance_or_neighborho.html

In the past year, 21 percent of Portland's 23,269 photo-radar citations were born in a flash on the block-long strip of Willow Street leading directly from 60th Avenue to eastbound Interstate 84.

That section of Willow Street -- big-porched houses line one side, a concrete freeway noise wall the other -- is what Portland Bureau of Transportation spokesman Dan Anderson calls “the most-signed street in the city.”

Indeed, for one block before it turns into a highway ramp, there are four 25 mph signs and two big white 25’s painted on the blacktop.

Still: Nearly 5,000 tickets in the past 12 months.

After my Oct. 21 column, PBOT filed a Speed Zone Request (PDF) https://docs.google.com/open?id=1RRHgUruc3-zyPWHu6SDrWuqDupicofB3KAbr1sqOlrJyNsqebrXMuUii15pj, asking ODOT for its opinion on whether the street’s speed is appropriate.

City traffic engineer Carl Snyder writes:
 

“NE Willow Street is a residential street with a freeway access ramp. High volumeslspeeds have resulted in consistent complaints from residents. Ongoing enforcement has resulted in significant photo radar citations being issued, and complaints made to court officials and the Portland Transportation Bureau.”

Snyder, who did not return a phone call, recommends an increase to 30 mph on the form.
 Northeast Portland's Willow Street: I-84 on-ramp or residential street? In the past year, Portland police have issued 4,906 photo radar tickets on the strip of pavement connecting Northeast 60th Avenue to I-84 eastbound. Many motorists mistake the poorly designed residential street as all on-ramp. It's not. Watch video  http://videos.oregonlive.com/oregonian/2011/10/northeast_portlands_willow_str.html

With daily traffic volumes of more than 6,000 vehicles, the vast majority of which are headed to the highway, the 25 mph speed limit may not be the best fit for what could easily be defined as an “arterial” http://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/801.127 under the Oregon Vehicle Code. The law also seems to say the statutory speed limit in a residential area is 25 mph, but only if it’s not an arterial. http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/811.html

See, I told you: A freakish spot.

On the ODOT speed-zone request, Snyder avoids classifying the street altogether. None of the options -- arterial, collector, local -- were checked.

Speed bumps with slots to allow emergency vehicles to get to the highway without being forced to slow down are an option. They’re about $2,500 each and have been tested successfully on Northwest Cornell Road.

But Anderson said the city wants to see what ODOT thinks before it starts mapping out possible solutions that will make both motorists and residents happy.

Hey, at least City Hall’s trying. Right?

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