City Government

01-09-2007 08:21 PM

Citizens group presents new Redwood Highway plan to City Council
Group seeks to change ODOT's Hwy 199 expressway designation

By TIM BURLESON

GRANTS PASS, OR - A citizens group calling itself ACCESS wants the City Council to adopt their plan for road changes on a dangerous section of Highway 199 (Redwood Highway).

Businessman Buck Baker, President of the Rotary Club, presented the ACCESS plan at a special meeting of the City Council today. The group is represented by attorney Duane Schultz.

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is currently working on a project on Redwood Highway known as the Highway 199 Expressway Upgrade Project. In the summer of 2000 ODOT designated the section of Redwood Highway from Tussey Lane to Applegate River Bridge as an "expressway." ODOT says the classification occurred "after consultation or agreement by affected local governments" and that this section of Highway 199 is "one of the most dangerous highways in Josephine County."

According to a 1999 Oregon Highway Plan, an "expressway" classification provides for "high speed, high volume travel between cities and connections to ports and major recreation areas with minimal interruptions. A secondary function is to provide for long distance intra-urban travel in metropolitan areas." The plan goes on to say: "In urban areas, speeds are moderate to high. In rural areas, speeds are high."

Roads designated as "expressways" are subject to higher standards in regards to increased distances between signals, higher traffic speeds, less property access and less cross-connections. Speeds in an urban "expressway" can be 35 to 45 mpg.

Baker said the ACCESS is seeking to change the "expressway" designation to Urban Business Area (UBA). According to ODOT, a UBA is a highway segment designation that recognizes existing areas of commercial activity where vehicle access is important to continued economic viability. The 1999 Oregon Highway Plan says, "The primary objective of the state highway in an Urban Business Area (UBA) is to maintain existing speeds while balancing the access needs of abutting properties with the need to move through traffic." Baker said their plan calls for traffic in the UBA to be limited to 35 mph.

Other primary goals for ACCESS are preserving existing traffic signals (that would be removed under ODOT plans), preserving the fairgrounds and maintaining access for businesses and the fairgrounds.

Two alternative plans are currently proposed by ODOT that include a frontage road north of Redwood Highway from Tussey to Allen Creek Road. The frontage road would cut through the Josephine County Fairgrounds property and impact other area businesses.

Baker said the ACCESS plan eliminates the frontage road and would eliminate the need for $15.3 MM in property acquisitions for the project.

The ACCESS plan also supports the "boulevard concept" that was originally introduced by City Manager David Frasher. According to Frasher, "boulevard thinking" promotes removal of freeways and the restoration of local street grids, encouraging the efficient movement of traffic at moderate speeds in an urban context. The boulevard concept also encourages aesthetics and landscaping that Frasher says are more supportive of local "community values."

Specifics of the ACCESS plan include:

- A future road connecting Redwood Avenue to Redwood Highway that would run north-south in the general area of Anthony's Furniture. In the event the Schutzwohl Lane is connected to Schutzwohl Lane West, the future road would extend to Schutzwohl Lane.

- Three traffic lanes, both east and west, on Redwood Highway, from Williams Hwy to Dowell Road.

- Allen Creek Road from Redwood Highway to Redwood Avenue would be eliminated. This is the small section of Allen Creek Road located by the old Redwood Market.

- The traffic signal at Redwood Highway and Redwood Avenue would be maintained, but the intersection would be converted to a three-way intersection with the removal of the "slip ramp." This would require motorists driving west on Redwood Avenue to make a right turn to get on Redwood Avenue.

- The traffic signal at Redwood Highway and Fairgrounds Avenue will be retained. ODOT plans call for the removal of this signal.

Frasher called the ACCESS plan a "very rough draft" and noted that no traffic studies have been performed on the plan. Frasher recommended a traffic analysis is performed on the ACCESS plan, which could cost as much as $60,000, before the Council makes a decision on the plan. The Council gave Frasher authorization to look for a consultant to perform the traffic study. The hiring of the consultant will subject to Council approval at a future meeting.

On the net:
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION3/h199e_index.shtml

Reach reporter Tim Burleson at 761-0195 or tim@grantspassclimate.com

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