Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home City Council last week approved a plan to place four speed tables on First Avenue between highways 20 and 228 to discourage drivers using the road to cross between the highways.
Residents have complained for years about speed and traffic on the street, said Police Chief Jeff Lynn. After exploring several options, the Traffic Safety Committee recommended the installation of the speed tables.
A speed table is a speed hump with a wide flat section in the middle, generally long enough for the entire wheelbase of a passenger car to rest on top. The long, flat design allows cars to pass without slowing as significantly as narrower speed bumps would allow. Therefore, speed tables are often used on roads with typical residential speed limits.
The cost of installing the tables ranges from using recycled asphalt at $900 each to a mix of concrete and asphalt at $3,000 each, Lynn said.
Volunteers have observed speed on the street and found the average to be just barely above the speed limit, 25 mph, Lynn said. In 90 minutes, volunteers counted 192 vehicles using the street.
Traffic volume, in Lynn’s opinion, he said, is more of a concern for First Avenue residents than simply speed. They’ve also complained about truck traffic.
“The speed is not the issue it appears,” said Councilor Craig Fentiman. “It’s the volume. What are the expectations? How much is it going to reduce the volume?”
City staff do not have an estimate, said Public Works Director Mike Adams.
Lynn said that in 2007 Beaverton and Portland researched that question and found a 20-percent reduction by installing speed bumps. He indicated he doesn’t know how that might play out for First Avenue.
“If we get 15 percent reduction, we’ve still accomplished something,” Fentiman said.
Lynn said he was concerned that instead of driving to the intersection of highways 228 and 20, drivers may simply use Osage and Meadowlark to get around the speed tables and increase traffic levels in neighborhoods not equipped for higher traffic volumes.
That 15 to 20 percent of traffic is going to go somewhere, and he said he’s not sure it’ll go all the way to the light.
In the past, the city has tried to use striping and parking restrictions to limit speed and use of First Avenue, said City Manager Craig Martin.
The council voted unanimously to install the $900 speed tables. Funding for the project is available although not specifically identified in the current budget.
Present at the meeting were councilors Marybeth Angulo, Greg Mahler, Fentiman, Mayor Jim Gourley, Dave Trask and Bruce Hobbs.
In other business, the council:
n Approved the installation of a stop sign on Surrey Lane where it intersects with Ames Creek Drive.
The street is near the city limits and serves 10 to 11 residences, Lynn said.
n Appointed Isabelle Seitz to the Youth Advisory Committee.
n Reappointed Andrew Allen to the Parks Board.