Yesterday after I finish my last final, I was walking home happily, knowing that the final is finally over, but when I was crossing Western on 26th, I almost got ran over by a white pickup truck. So I then wrote an email to the Corvallis city council, and this is what they had to say:
Mr Chang,
Thank you for taking the time to communicate your issues regarding the intersection noted above.
Traffic signals are the safest way to get pedestrians across the street but are usually programmed based on traffic congestion and are projected ahead through traffic modeling. The funding for traffic signals come from system development charges (SDC’s) that are assessed to new development. Each signal that is programmed through the master plan modeling process is included in the SDC project list and funds are collected to fund these signals. Neither the City’s transportation system plan, adopted in 1995 nor the OSU Campus Master Plan just recently adopted identified a level of traffic that would warrant the installation of a traffic signal at this location, therefore a signal located at this intersection is not included in the SDC project list and no funds are being collected to fund this project.
There are other ways that projects done by the City can be influenced. In April of each year, we ask the community for input about what projects should be undertaken. I will keep your email to be included in next years process. It will be considered for inclusion in the Capital Improvement Program by the CIP Commission. Funding will be an issue since it is not likely to be warranted by traffic demands and therefore eligible for SDC funding.
In the past we have routinely reviewed traffic issues such as you have brought forward to determine a solution. Recently, however, funding for this effort has been removed from our budget. Unfortunately, we now don’t have a way to study this intersection.
There is at least one other solution that is may be helpful. A pedestrian activated caution light 9flashing yellow) is recommended in situations like 26th and Western where the marked crosswalk is not protected by a stop sign or a traffic signal. When we marked crosswalks on Harrison and van Buren at 14th this last fall at the request of ASOSU we suggested that they consider funding caution lights. Possibly their efforts should consider 26th and Western instead.
Public Works Director
City of Corvallis
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