Oregon

[Bickendan]

Barbur south of OR 10 is only 5 lanes wide (2+1+2). The two viaducts and a choke point near Spring Garden would need to be addressed.

[sparker]

Barbur south of OR 10 is only 5 lanes wide (2+1+2). The two viaducts and a choke point near Spring Garden would need to be addressed.

It sounds like a reference to the narrow section of Barbur in front of the Fred Meyer just west of Terwilliger.  Since the boulevard is sandwiched in between I-5 and the Meyer complex, they'll probably have to eat a bit of the front parking lot to accommodate 2 tracks, 1+1 lanes, and any turning facilities at Terwilliger.  The old bridges at Spring Garden will need addressing as well as the ones further north (both in terms of width and weight limits); rebuilding might be necessary.  The last time anything significant was done on Barbur was well over 55 years ago when I-5 was being built -- with the exception of the Barbur/Capitol I-5 overcrossing, which was being revamped just as I was leaving PDX back in '97; that entire stretch of street was a mashup of original pavement and structures with lane additions and slight realignment at the Terwilliger and Capitol intersections.

On a lighter note -- wonder if there's going to be a station stop at Buster's BBQ just west of I-5 in Tigard?  Considering its popularity (maybe not with the vegan contingent at PSU!), something close might be appropriate.

[pdx-wanderer]

https://www.eastoregonian.com/news/local/speed-and-impact-rural-highway-fatalities-increase-after-speed-limit/article_88d4608e-f53d-11e8-bbd8-bf815f7b5b6f.html

1st review of the eastern Oregon speed limits that I've seen, but there are some suspicious things on here.

1. One of the crashes it cited was a driver on ice, so driving 40 is generally too fast for that. Another crash has a wrong way driver on an interstate. How is that related to speed? There goes 1/2 of the death increase.

2. It does not take into account that 2017 was one of the worst winters on record for the area, and 2018 wasn't a nice ime for the blue mountains or the Wallowas mid-late season. Compared to 2014-2016 had 3 of the best winters when it came to driving conditions.

3. If ODOT is against speed traps, they'd be advocating for a higher limit near Onterio. Also my (former) campaign to raise Sherwood's speed limit comes to mind (defiantly a speed trap). There are other examples.

4. They even admit that they don't take into account for lower speed limit areas on the highways. This probably would only affect US 97 significantly, where Redmond to Madras is a high crash corridor.

5. Speed is too vauge for the true data. 3rd highest crash cause would be driving too fast for conditions, not speed in general.

6. Cites government/insurance study, which tends to contradict private sector and university studies (void if joint).

7. How did the actual speeds change? Oh wait, ODOT IS SO SECRATIVE ABOUT THEM THAT THEY DON'T RELEASE IT TO THE PUBLIC.

8. US 97 from I-84 to US 197 is still 55. That's 67 miles not raised. I'll give you the Redmond to Madras section because it was raised before being re-lowered.

Added: 9. There was a statewide increase in deaths in 2016, and I don't know about 2017 but I don't think the decrease was substantial. Where is the -3.5% you got from?

No, I do not trust this article at all based on those 9 things that are susp.

Reading over the upcoming ODOT/PSU study will be fun. But serious question: Why PSU? I don't mean to be against them but OSU and OIT are the best engineering schools of the state, when looking at national ratings, and OSU is closer to ODOT's headquarters than PSU.

Disclaimer: I do study at OSU, but I study meteorology there.

LG-TP260

I-84's entirety would be a good place for more variable speed signs like the ones around Baker City. Each of the Gorge, plateau, Blue Mountains, Ladd Canyon, Baker Valley, Snake River sections of that freeway have their own unique inclement weather challenges with plenty of chances for people to be driving too fast for conditions, but the thing is conditions which 70 mph is too fast for 65 mph is also very likely too fast for as well. "Speeding" and driving too fast for conditions or the roadway are different things. I'd be interested in seeing a comparison of average speeds and accident rates, with type of accident between the newly increased roads and other roads in neighboring states in similar terrain with similar posted speeds. I recall an article from when Utah raised their speed limits to 80 mph in rural areas and 70 mph in metro Salt Lake City that stated that actual speeds only increased about 2 mph.

Regardless even if returning to the low limits is warranted, it will take a lot more given that as its neighbors have posted higher speeds, Oregon has taken to the California approach of under-post and under-enforce so any lowered speed limit will have to come with highly increased enforcement. I'd wager a guess that the average speed is higher on I-5 from Wilsonville to Salem than on 70 mph stretches of I-84. Anecdotally, driving 80-85 mph there will often put you comfortably in the flow of traffic in the left lane, because the presence of a third lane generally allows the trucks and speed limit sticklers to not get in the way a la the San Joaquin Valley (on a side note, I wish ODOT put signs officially banning trucks, busses, and trailers from the left lane there like there are on similar stretches of road in Utah, Washington, and I'm sure in other states). Meanwhile going that fast on much of 70 mph I-84 would likely put you much faster than most if not all the other traffic, and east of Pendleton that is simply too fast even in good conditions. 70 mph on Cabbage Hill and the Blue Mtns while the Willamette Valley is still 65 is pretty funny (as is the 65 mph truck speed limit on Cabbage Hill and two lane US 95 being the highest on the entire west coast).

[Hurricane Rex]

https://www.eastoregonian.com/news/local/speed-and-impact-rural-highway-fatalities-increase-after-speed-limit/article_88d4608e-f53d-11e8-bbd8-bf815f7b5b6f.html

1st review of the eastern Oregon speed limits that I've seen, but there are some suspicious things on here.

1. One of the crashes it cited was a driver on ice, so driving 40 is generally too fast for that. Another crash has a wrong way driver on an interstate. How is that related to speed? There goes 1/2 of the death increase.

2. It does not take into account that 2017 was one of the worst winters on record for the area, and 2018 wasn't a nice ime for the blue mountains or the Wallowas mid-late season. Compared to 2014-2016 had 3 of the best winters when it came to driving conditions.

3. If ODOT is against speed traps, they'd be advocating for a higher limit near Onterio. Also my (former) campaign to raise Sherwood's speed limit comes to mind (defiantly a speed trap). There are other examples.

4. They even admit that they don't take into account for lower speed limit areas on the highways. This probably would only affect US 97 significantly, where Redmond to Madras is a high crash corridor.

5. Speed is too vauge for the true data. 3rd highest crash cause would be driving too fast for conditions, not speed in general.

6. Cites government/insurance study, which tends to contradict private sector and university studies (void if joint).

7. How did the actual speeds change? Oh wait, ODOT IS SO SECRATIVE ABOUT THEM THAT THEY DON'T RELEASE IT TO THE PUBLIC.

8. US 97 from I-84 to US 197 is still 55. That's 67 miles not raised. I'll give you the Redmond to Madras section because it was raised before being re-lowered.

Added: 9. There was a statewide increase in deaths in 2016, and I don't know about 2017 but I don't think the decrease was substantial. Where is the -3.5% you got from?

No, I do not trust this article at all based on those 9 things that are susp.

Reading over the upcoming ODOT/PSU study will be fun. But serious question: Why PSU? I don't mean to be against them but OSU and OIT are the best engineering schools of the state, when looking at national ratings, and OSU is closer to ODOT's headquarters than PSU.

Disclaimer: I do study at OSU, but I study meteorology there.

LG-TP260

I-84's entirety would be a good place for more variable speed signs like the ones around Baker City. Each of the Gorge, plateau, Blue Mountains, Ladd Canyon, Baker Valley, Snake River sections of that freeway have their own unique inclement weather challenges with plenty of chances for people to be driving too fast for conditions, but the thing is conditions which 70 mph is too fast for 65 mph is also very likely too fast for as well. "Speeding" and driving too fast for conditions or the roadway are different things. I'd be interested in seeing a comparison of average speeds and accident rates, with type of accident between the newly increased roads and other roads in neighboring states in similar terrain with similar posted speeds. I recall an article from when Utah raised their speed limits to 80 mph in rural areas and 70 mph in metro Salt Lake City that stated that actual speeds only increased about 2 mph.

Regardless even if returning to the low limits is warranted, it will take a lot more given that as its neighbors have posted higher speeds, Oregon has taken to the California approach of under-post and under-enforce so any lowered speed limit will have to come with highly increased enforcement. I'd wager a guess that the average speed is higher on I-5 from Wilsonville to Salem than on 70 mph stretches of I-84. Anecdotally, driving 80-85 mph there will often put you comfortably in the flow of traffic in the left lane, because the presence of a third lane generally allows the trucks and speed limit sticklers to not get in the way a la the San Joaquin Valley (on a side note, I wish ODOT put signs officially banning trucks, busses, and trailers from the left lane there like there are on similar stretches of road in Utah, Washington, and I'm sure in other states). Meanwhile going that fast on much of 70 mph I-84 would likely put you much faster than most if not all the other traffic, and east of Pendleton that is simply too fast even in good conditions. 70 mph on Cabbage Hill and the Blue Mtns while the Willamette Valley is still 65 is pretty funny (as is the 65 mph truck speed limit on Cabbage Hill and two lane US 95 being the highest on the entire west coast).

Writing on my phone, so its dificult to remove the post.

Normally on I-5 in the valley (have minimal experience south of exit 162):
Wilsonville to Salem: can confirm your findings, plus 70-75 in the middle lane.

Salem to Albany: 75 in left, 65 in right
Albany to Eugene: 80-85 in left, 70 in right
Eugene to Cottege Grove: same as Salem to Albany.

I-84: Gorge: 75 left, 70 right
Exit 97 to exit 216: 80-90 left, 75 right (litterly hard to go 75 or 80)
Cabbage hill: 60 or less
Cabbage Hill to La Grande: 75 left, 65 right
Have minimal experience east of La Grande

The high accident corridors on I-84 are cabbage hill, just west of la Grande, Ladd canyon, Paridise valley, and mp 332-340, all of which except Paridise Valley could be reduced (and cabbage hill despratly needs to be reduced). Noticibally the gorge isn't on there as most accidents are from 2014, which was a bad year for weather. If I rake that out it becomes below average (ODOT crash data).

LG-TP260

[pdx-wanderer]

https://www.eastoregonian.com/news/local/speed-and-impact-rural-highway-fatalities-increase-after-speed-limit/article_88d4608e-f53d-11e8-bbd8-bf815f7b5b6f.html

1st review of the eastern Oregon speed limits that I've seen, but there are some suspicious things on here.

1. One of the crashes it cited was a driver on ice, so driving 40 is generally too fast for that. Another crash has a wrong way driver on an interstate. How is that related to speed? There goes 1/2 of the death increase.

2. It does not take into account that 2017 was one of the worst winters on record for the area, and 2018 wasn't a nice ime for the blue mountains or the Wallowas mid-late season. Compared to 2014-2016 had 3 of the best winters when it came to driving conditions.

3. If ODOT is against speed traps, they'd be advocating for a higher limit near Onterio. Also my (former) campaign to raise Sherwood's speed limit comes to mind (defiantly a speed trap). There are other examples.

4. They even admit that they don't take into account for lower speed limit areas on the highways. This probably would only affect US 97 significantly, where Redmond to Madras is a high crash corridor.

5. Speed is too vauge for the true data. 3rd highest crash cause would be driving too fast for conditions, not speed in general.

6. Cites government/insurance study, which tends to contradict private sector and university studies (void if joint).

7. How did the actual speeds change? Oh wait, ODOT IS SO SECRATIVE ABOUT THEM THAT THEY DON'T RELEASE IT TO THE PUBLIC.

8. US 97 from I-84 to US 197 is still 55. That's 67 miles not raised. I'll give you the Redmond to Madras section because it was raised before being re-lowered.

Added: 9. There was a statewide increase in deaths in 2016, and I don't know about 2017 but I don't think the decrease was substantial. Where is the -3.5% you got from?

No, I do not trust this article at all based on those 9 things that are susp.

Reading over the upcoming ODOT/PSU study will be fun. But serious question: Why PSU? I don't mean to be against them but OSU and OIT are the best engineering schools of the state, when looking at national ratings, and OSU is closer to ODOT's headquarters than PSU.

Disclaimer: I do study at OSU, but I study meteorology there.

LG-TP260

I-84's entirety would be a good place for more variable speed signs like the ones around Baker City. Each of the Gorge, plateau, Blue Mountains, Ladd Canyon, Baker Valley, Snake River sections of that freeway have their own unique inclement weather challenges with plenty of chances for people to be driving too fast for conditions, but the thing is conditions which 70 mph is too fast for 65 mph is also very likely too fast for as well. "Speeding" and driving too fast for conditions or the roadway are different things. I'd be interested in seeing a comparison of average speeds and accident rates, with type of accident between the newly increased roads and other roads in neighboring states in similar terrain with similar posted speeds. I recall an article from when Utah raised their speed limits to 80 mph in rural areas and 70 mph in metro Salt Lake City that stated that actual speeds only increased about 2 mph.

Regardless even if returning to the low limits is warranted, it will take a lot more given that as its neighbors have posted higher speeds, Oregon has taken to the California approach of under-post and under-enforce so any lowered speed limit will have to come with highly increased enforcement. I'd wager a guess that the average speed is higher on I-5 from Wilsonville to Salem than on 70 mph stretches of I-84. Anecdotally, driving 80-85 mph there will often put you comfortably in the flow of traffic in the left lane, because the presence of a third lane generally allows the trucks and speed limit sticklers to not get in the way a la the San Joaquin Valley (on a side note, I wish ODOT put signs officially banning trucks, busses, and trailers from the left lane there like there are on similar stretches of road in Utah, Washington, and I'm sure in other states). Meanwhile going that fast on much of 70 mph I-84 would likely put you much faster than most if not all the other traffic, and east of Pendleton that is simply too fast even in good conditions. 70 mph on Cabbage Hill and the Blue Mtns while the Willamette Valley is still 65 is pretty funny (as is the 65 mph truck speed limit on Cabbage Hill and two lane US 95 being the highest on the entire west coast).

Writing on my phone, so its dificult to remove the post.

Normally on I-5 in the valley (have minimal experience south of exit 162):
Wilsonville to Salem: can confirm your findings, plus 70-75 in the middle lane.

Salem to Albany: 75 in left, 65 in right
Albany to Eugene: 80-85 in left, 70 in right
Eugene to Cottege Grove: same as Salem to Albany.

I-84: Gorge: 75 left, 70 right
Exit 97 to exit 216: 80-90 left, 75 right (litterly hard to go 75 or 80)
Cabbage hill: 60 or less
Cabbage Hill to La Grande: 75 left, 65 right
Have minimal experience east of La Grande

The high accident corridors on I-84 are cabbage hill, just west of la Grande, Ladd canyon, Paridise valley, and mp 332-340, all of which except Paridise Valley could be reduced (and cabbage hill despratly needs to be reduced). Noticibally the gorge isn't on there as most accidents are from 2014, which was a bad year for weather. If I rake that out it becomes below average (ODOT crash data).

LG-TP260

Siskiyou Pass: 55-60 southbound ascending, 70-80 past the summit (in good weather obviously). Northbound it seems the steepest grades are in CA. Again, having a speed limit of 55 there makes no sense considering it goes up to 65 in California, and the Cabbage Hill speed limit. Trucks can in theory go quite a bit faster on Cabbage Hill than anybody can on Siskiyou Pass!

Ashland to Grants Pass: 75-80

Grants Pass to Roseburg is so mountainous and winding that it's hard to go faster than 73 or so for any prolonged period of time. 65 is probably a good speed limit there, similar to the Mt Shasta area. The 50 zone for the big curve around Myrtle Creek isn't really necessary though, there are ample warning signs of that. Again, why drop all the way to 50 there when Cabbage Hill is set at 70? 

Roseburg to the Willamette Valley I've found similar to Ashland to Grants Pass. The 60 mph speed limit is Roseburg is widely ignored; I wonder if that's changed the avg speed or crash data there. People do actually seem to slow down somewhat in Eugene proper, not so much in Salem proper. Both of them should have 65/60 mph speed limits anyway, in my opinon.

Baker Valley in good weather I usually set cruise control at 79 mph there and rarely get passed or pass anyone else that's not a truck. The variable speed limits do work though; last month I went through there in very foggy conditions and they showed a 45 mph speed limit which seemed just about right and then, when the fog thickened, reduced to 35 which again felt right. On the other hand, that would be a good place to potentially test 75 mph limits in good weather.

Past Baker, the Paradise area is similar in speed to the Blues; once the freeway stop following the Snake, it has some steep grades but outside of those traffic moves very fast, often well over 80 mph, before slowing down through the Ontario limits. I was only out there a few times when the speed limit was still 65 but I can't say I remember traffic moving consistently that fast until relatively recently.

As for the two laners, I think US 26 from Madras to the eastern areas of Mt Hood NF move faster if traffic conditions allow than most of the new 65 mph roads.  Obviously with a two lane road it only takes one slow vehicle to slow things down, but thats another place with frequent speeds of 80+.

[Bickendan]

Re: the Myrtle Creek curve -- my dad said he saw a semi jack-knife in his rearview mirror as he was clearing the curve.
While I fully agree that Emigrant Hill* being posted at 70 makes zero sense (the eastbound curves are tight enough I can feel the lateral Gs going 50), I'd say that Myrtle Creek is no joke. I feel more comfortable crusing through the Terwilliger Curves at 65 -- and that's a valid 50 zone.

*Emigrant Hill; Cabbage Hill -- which is it? I've always heard it as Emigrant Hill.

[mvak36]

https://www.ktvz.com/news/odot-seeks-feds-ok-to-toll-2-portland-area-freeways/917569296

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon is seeking federal approval to toll two Portland-area freeways.

KOIN reports the Oregon Transportation Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to send its tolling proposal to the Federal Highway Administration.

Oregon wants to collect tolls along 7 miles of Interstate 5 between North Going Street/Alberta Street and Southwest Multnomah Boulevard.

The second tolling section would fall on Interstate 205 near the George Abernethy Bridge in Clackamas County.

Proponents say the tolling will help pay for road projects and ease congestion. The rates and times of day when drivers would have to pay have not been decided.

[Hurricane Rex]

https://www.ktvz.com/news/odot-seeks-feds-ok-to-toll-2-portland-area-freeways/917569296

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon is seeking federal approval to toll two Portland-area freeways.

KOIN reports the Oregon Transportation Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to send its tolling proposal to the Federal Highway Administration.

Oregon wants to collect tolls along 7 miles of Interstate 5 between North Going Street/Alberta Street and Southwest Multnomah Boulevard.

The second tolling section would fall on Interstate 205 near the George Abernethy Bridge in Clackamas County.

Proponents say the tolling will help pay for road projects and ease congestion. The rates and times of day when drivers would have to pay have not been decided.

The fine print. I will support the 205 tolling section as it will fund a widening to 3 lanes each way from mp 3 to mp 9 (currently 2), provide A bridge upgrade ($250 million), and 2 auxillery lanes, one between exit 8 and 9, and another between 9 and 10. Ok, I can get behind that.

I-5 though... It took ODOT a while to reveal they were going to spend some of the profits on the I-205 widening. They have now mentioned that they want to spend some of the money on the rose quarter project. Except the transportation package from 2017 mandates that the state provides the funding for the ENTIRE Rose Quarter project, currently estumated at $450 million. They aren't saying what other projects would be paid with this, again meaning they aren't that transparent.

LG-TP260

[Bickendan]

ODOT is planning on replacing the van Bueren Bridge in Corvallis with a two-lane facility. Note that while they bill it as part of OR 34 in the project title, it's not (OR 34 diverts to the bypass). It is, however, part of ORH 210.
https://www.oregon.gov/odot/projects/pages/project-details.aspx?project=20688

[Hurricane Rex]

IP 10 (vote on non-capacity increasing tolls initiative) has been moved passed the pre-reqs and will be starting to gather signatures shortly (secretary of state's office).

ODOT is planning on replacing the van Bueren Bridge in Corvallis with a two-lane facility. Note that while they bill it as part of OR 34 in the project title, it's not (OR 34 diverts to the bypass). It is, however, part of ORH 210.
https://www.oregon.gov/odot/projects/pages/project-details.aspx?project=20688

Its about time this happens as Corvallis shut down the first attempt and instead added a 2nd right turn lane to the bypass. Prepare for the historians, environmentalists and NIMBY's to go full force against this.

LG-TP260

[Hurricane Rex]

The 124 th avenue road extension is now open. Fun to drive on, but 45 is a joke for the speed limit (until its built up) (I drove 60 fine with other cars doing the same).
https://pamplinmedia.com/ttt/415941-318208-124th-avenue-extension-open-for-business-

LG-TP260

[Tarkus]

Technically, the 45 zone there isn't established by a Speed Zone Order, so its legality is hazy at best.  The last SZO for SW 124th Avenue (J8675 from August 29, 2013) only covers from 99W to Tualatin-Sherwood, which means anything else would be covered by the statutory limits in ORS 811.111 (which would make it a 55mph zone presently).  At best, they could call it a "construction zone" limit, since the road just opened, but even then, it's potential Miles v. Milwaukie fodder* if one were to be ticketed. 

The stretch that's Basalt Creek Parkway, however, has been open for over a year, and at least on the Google Street View from August 2018, the "Speed 45" sign is almost immediately followed by an "End Road Work" sign, so the county clearly doesn't consider it to be a construction zone there anymore.  Unless they're making the very precarious argument that when Tonquin Road was closed, its SZO (1030D from February 22, 1995) would be valid over there during the detour time, but now that both are open, there's no real case they can make. 

Simply put, SW Basalt Creek Parkway ≠ SW Tonquin Road.

Speaking of which, there's quite a few other "illegal" speed zones of this type around. 

Does anyone know if that infamous "emergency" 30 zone on SE Stark (between 109th and 162nd) is still posted?  Assuming PBOT got the extension it claims it can get (an additional 120 days, for a total of 240 days), counting back from today, it should be legally expired if the signs went up before May 18, 2018. 

*Miles v. Milwaukie: 2009 case when the City of Milwaukie got their backside handed to them for trying to use photo radar to ticket people for violating a non-existent 25mph zone on SE King Road.  That section of road was legally a 35mph zone per a Speed Zone Order.

[Bickendan]

Stark is still 30 as from my last trip. Can reconfirm tomorrow.

Milwaukie got slapped for photo radar on King? lmao
I wonder if that's why I haven't seen the vans at the speed trap on McGloughlin at River.

[Hurricane Rex]

Technically, the 45 zone there isn't established by a Speed Zone Order, so its legality is hazy at best.  The last SZO for SW 124th Avenue (J8675 from August 29, 2013) only covers from 99W to Tualatin-Sherwood, which means anything else would be covered by the statutory limits in ORS 811.111 (which would make it a 55mph zone presently).  At best, they could call it a "construction zone" limit, since the road just opened, but even then, it's potential Miles v. Milwaukie fodder* if one were to be ticketed. 

The stretch that's Basalt Creek Parkway, however, has been open for over a year, and at least on the Google Street View from August 2018, the "Speed 45" sign is almost immediately followed by an "End Road Work" sign, so the county clearly doesn't consider it to be a construction zone there anymore.  Unless they're making the very precarious argument that when Tonquin Road was closed, its SZO (1030D from February 22, 1995) would be valid over there during the detour time, but now that both are open, there's no real case they can make. 

Simply put, SW Basalt Creek Parkway ≠ SW Tonquin Road.

Speaking of which, there's quite a few other "illegal" speed zones of this type around. 

Does anyone know if that infamous "emergency" 30 zone on SE Stark (between 109th and 162nd) is still posted?  Assuming PBOT got the extension it claims it can get (an additional 120 days, for a total of 240 days), counting back from today, it should be legally expired if the signs went up before May 18, 2018. 

*Miles v. Milwaukie: 2009 case when the City of Milwaukie got their backside handed to them for trying to use photo radar to ticket people for violating a non-existent 25mph zone on SE King Road.  That section of road was legally a 35mph zone per a Speed Zone Order.

In that case, I will assume the limit is 55 until further notice, and if I'm ticked, I will challenge it if I'm going 55 or less (flow was 60 the one time I wemt through though so...). I might send an email in though to Washington county notifying them of the illegal limit, and possibly getting it raised to 55? That last one is a long shot.

LG-TP260

[jakeroot]

I assume the likelihood is greater that an SZO order would be created, rather than the responsible agency accepting the statutory limit.

[polarscribe]

I-84: Gorge: 75 left, 70 right
Exit 97 to exit 216: 80-90 left, 75 right (litterly hard to go 75 or 80)
Cabbage hill: 60 or less
Cabbage Hill to La Grande: 75 left, 65 right
Have minimal experience east of La Grande

I would dispute Cabbage Hill being 60 or less in the left lane... with the truck lanes up the hill, it's not hard to do 65-70 in places. Sure, you're slowing for the corners, but there's enough point-and-shoot straights to keep the speed up.

In my experience, La Grande to the Idaho border is basically a continuation of 75 left, 65 right, with the exception of Ladd Canyon. When I'm driving it, I just lock the cruise at 75 from the OR-7 onramp in Baker City all the way to Ladd. Yeah, there's the occasional person trying to do faster but the State Police like to run speed coming out of the Baker Valley Rest Area. (Of course, as soon as you cross the Snake eastbound, the left lane goes to 85.)

[Hurricane Rex]

https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2019/01/portland-metro-voters-would-support-transportation-bond-prefer-freeway-widening-over-transit-improvements-poll-finds.html

So it seems that the proposed 2020 transportation package will fail if it doesn't include freeway widening.

LG-TP260

[Hurricane Rex]

PDF of a new bill in the house that allows Portland to set their own speed limits across town. You can guess my thoughts on this.http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5c4fc7470acb5/HB2702.pdf

LG-TP260

[Bruce]

PDF of a new bill in the house that allows Portland to set their own speed limits across town. You can guess my thoughts on this.http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5c4fc7470acb5/HB2702.pdf

FWIW, Seattle hasn't been really affected by the 20 MPH speed limit that was implemented in September 2017. Traffic is still the same, though I've heard of slightly fewer pedestrian fatalities.

[Hurricane Rex]

PDF of a new bill in the house that allows Portland to set their own speed limits across town. You can guess my thoughts on this.http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5c4fc7470acb5/HB2702.pdf

FWIW, Seattle hasn't been really affected by the 20 MPH speed limit that was implemented in September 2017. Traffic is still the same, though I've heard of slightly fewer pedestrian fatalities.

I honestly don't mind the 20 mph limit on residential areas as much as what they've done on artiels, especially division street.

[Tarkus]

Speaking of Division, since the limit from 82nd to 174th went down to an absurd 30mph, they've had 3 deaths on that stretch, plus this last week. 

PBOT's methodology with their Vision Zero scheme is horribly flawed, and they basically use any excuse--however misguided--to justify their speed limit reductions, with some roads seeing multiple reductions in the span of only a year or two.  They cited "speed racing" as a reason to drop a stretch of Marine Drive to 35mph (speed racers aren't going to give a flying crap what the number on the sign says, and since when is 40mph "speed racing"?), and they used the excuse of a massively impaired driver who was going 55mph in a 30 zone and ran over a pedestrian to impose a 20-block long 20mph zone on the east end of Hawthorne Blvd (the guy's way over the legal limit--he's not going to care if it says 30, 20, or 9000).

The prospect of them no longer having to be accountable to ODOT's speed zoning program at all is frankly terrifying.  The reason for that oversight is to prevent cities from creating speed traps--which Portland is doing at an alarming rate and scale.  They've already started playing around with posting East Portland 5-lane arterials at 25mph, with a stretch of NE/SE 102nd Avenue (most of the rest of which is now a Division-style 30 zone now, per here).

Reducing the speed limit does not curb DUII, distracted driving, or speed racing.  Period.  No one says "oh hey, Division's a 30mph zone now, I'm only going to drink one IPA instead of four". 

[Sub-Urbanite]

Reducing the speed limit does not curb DUII, distracted driving, or speed racing.  Period.  No one says "oh hey, Division's a 30mph zone now, I'm only going to drink one IPA instead of four".

They might — if the speed limits were ever enforced.

I have no problem with them lowering the speed limits. My issue is that I almost never see Portland cops writing traffic tickets.

[Bickendan]

I drive that stretch of Division every day. The Portland Police are always somewhere along Division.

[Bruce]

The only effective way of getting to Vision Zero is to re-engineer the roads themselves to make high-speed driving extremely uncomfortable. Narrower lanes (and less of them), more street furniture to break up the straightaways, and better pedestrian crossings, to name a few.

[Alps]

Portland question. I see the Steel Bridge ramp to I-84 was removed sometime after 1981. Why was an active ramp removed? The WB counterpart remains. I've heard that it had to do with cancellation of US 26 across the western city but that only makes sense if it was always a stub.