Silverton High School Study

8/22/2019 Silverton High School Study

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SILVERTON HIGH SCHOOL

AREA TRAFFIC SAFETY REVIEW

October 2009

Prepared by Bill Brownlee and Cindy SchmittMarion County Public Works

Salem, Oregon


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Public Works has reviewed several traffic safety concerns in the vicinity of the Silverton HighSchool at the previous site on James Street (called the Schlador Street Campus), as well as at thenewer Pine Street Campus since it opened in 1997. With the Pine Street Campus opening at full

capacity in September 2009, a number of issues have arisen relating to traffic congestion, trafficcontrol devices, and general safety in the area. This study summarizes the issues, data collectionand field observations, and engineering findings and recommendations. This study wascompleted during good weather conditions, strategic peak hours, and after the school was openand functioning at full capacity in order to capture the busiest weekday conditions as they relateto school activity and congestion.

To provide background information and build on our findings, the individual issues are presentedin a specific order. Following is a summary of our basic findings and conclusions. For morediscussion on justifications, details, and photos, please refer to the attached review sheet for eachitem, presented in the same order as listed here.

This review process was beneficial to undertake for a number of reasons. It provided: a chance to review an existing situation that has undergone some fairly substantial

growth recently,

the opportunity to review and upgrade existing traffic control devices for both the City ofSilverton and Marion County,

the opportunity to identify some new installations that will improve safety and addresscommunity concerns,

the opportunity to work directly with the new City Public Works Director, and a chance to arrive at an understanding with Silverton regarding which sections of road

are under County jurisdiction, and what each jurisdiction can and cannot do within theothers right-of-way.

The Pine Street Campus is located on the northwest corner of the City of Silverton. Most of theflow of vehicles, and virtually all of the bicycle and pedestrian traffic, therefore moves to andfrom the school from the east and the south. Certain after-school sports still use the athleticfacilities and some overflow parking for students occur at the old Schlador Street Campus,located to the east. The Pine Street Campus has three distinct access points which serve veryspecific users, one for student and visitors vehicles, one for buses and staff vehicles, and one forpick-up and drop-off of students by other vehicles. The latter also serves as the primary accessfor pedestrians and bicycles. All these factors determine where the primary walk routes are,where the most congestion occurs, and where the greatest safety risks are for both school-relatedusers and the general traveling public.

Crosswalk Request on Pine Street at Grant Street Both the City and school district haverequested a crosswalk at this location, shown on the map following this summary. Wedetermined that a crosswalk is warranted based on general pedestrian activity, combined withschool-related use. We are proposing to install a standard pedestrian crosswalk subject to theCity providing ADA-compliant ramps, adequate street lighting, and their portion of the signing.This request is in progress, with the City reviewing the costs of installing ramps and PGEevaluating the street lighting adequacy.

Crosswalk Request on Grant Street at Florida Drive An existing, improperly signed anddeficient crosswalk was found to have been installed at this location (see map), presumably by


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City crews, some time since the high school originally opened, without Marion Countyknowledge or permission. We determined that a crosswalk is warranted at this location, based onthe large number of walking students, students being dropped off, and the proximity to theschool itself. We are proposing to install a designated school crosswalk, subject to the Cityproviding adequate street lighting, and very minor signing. This request is also in progress at this

time with both the City and PGE.School Speed 20 Request on Grant Street A citizens petition was submitted specificallyrequesting a school zone on Grant Street, along with a request from the City and the SchoolDistrict. A significant amount of activity does occur in the section of Grant Street betweenFlorida Street and the southerly access to the school. Given the focused area of heavy use, thefact that a school crosswalk is warranted at Florida Street, and the activity levels in this area arespread over several hours of the school day, staff is recommending a SCHOOL SPEED 20 7AMto 5PM be installed on the middle portion of Grant Street as marked on the map and described indetail in the review sheet. A FLASHING LIGHT installation is not required or recommended onthis street. Most of the responsibility for installation will fall to the County; the City will need todo a small portion of the signing and legend work in their jurisdiction.

School Speed 20 Request on Pine Street The review conducted revealed very little pedestrianor bicycle traffic related to the school or otherwise, and a high level of service and no congestionrelated to vehicular movements in or out of the Kromminga Drive access into the school. Theexisting roadway and features are highly developed and no safety issues were identified based onthe level of use, actual driver behaviors, traffic volumes, or conflicts. A reduced-speed schoolzone is not warranted based on engineering and roadway safety criteria, and staff actuallyrecommends against installing any form of SCHOOL SPEED 20 zone on Pine Street for thereasons listed in the attached review sheet. If staff is directed to install a reduced school zoneposting, the review sheet discusses our recommendation for the conditions under which it shouldbe installed.

James Street School-Related Safety Issues The crosswalks and general signing in place onJames Street is appropriate and City and County staff have agreed to maintain the status quo atthis time. We recommended the City upgrade the size and location of their signing to meetMUTCD requirements and this is currently being pursued.

Western Avenue and Grant Street STOP Sign Control Some time after the school opened, aSTOP sign was installed on Western Avenue at Grant Street, presumably by the City withoutpermission from or discussion with the County. Our warrant review determined that the STOPsign is warranted, and County crews will install the appropriate sign and pavement markings, andask the City to remove their materials.

Other Issues Noted in the Field and Being Addressed Further A number of visionobstructions were noted at intersections, particularly on Grant Street. County staff will reviewthose in more detail, and contact property owners for removal of offending vegetation andlandscaping. This may require coordination with City staff to accomplish. We have alsorequested the City remove a City-installed NO Parking sign on Pine Street which is completelyfaded and not needed. We have provided the City Public Works Office with maps that showwhich streets in Silverton our records show as being County jurisdiction, and we willperiodically update them and make them available so we can avoid some of the problems wehave each encountered in years past.


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CROSSWALK REVIEW

Pine Street at Grant Street

October 16, 2009

Background: Staff has reviewed a request by the City of Silverton to install a crosswalk at the

intersection of Pine Street NE and Grant Street NE. The roadway jurisdiction is split at thislocation. The west leg of the intersection (on Pine Street) is under Marion County jurisdiction.The other three legs are under City of Silverton jurisdiction. A crosswalk had been painted onthe west leg of this intersection sometime prior to 2001. It was subsequently covered over by asurface treatment in 2007 and not reinstalled. The crosswalk was presumably installed by theCity of Silverton originally, and without Mario County knowledge, consultation, or approval.The crosswalk appears to never have been signed, as is required by the MUTCD.

The City of Silverton, on September 10, 2009, requested that Marion County evaluate thefeasibility of installing a crosswalk on Pine Street at this intersection. They cited the highnumber of students they anticipated would use the crosswalk to access the high school campus.

The Pine Street andGrant Streetintersection is a crossconfiguration with PineStreet trending east andwest. Grant Streettrends north and south.The two roads intersectat right angles. PineStreet carries an arterial

functional classificationand has a 2009estimated trafficvolume of 4,050. GrantStreet is classified as alocal street and has adaily traffic volume of780 vehicles per day ona typical school day.

The culture of the surrounding area is urban residential. An active church is located on thenorthwest corner. It was noted during field observations that this church also generates a certain

number of crossings related to worship services and other church related activities.

Pine Street Pedestrian Facilities: Facilities are a mix of property line sidewalks, paved shoulders,and grass/gravel areas. Some sidewalks have curbed sections and some are adjacent to turnpikesections. Roadway sections without sidewalk have a mix of paved and gravel/grass shoulders.On Pine Street east of Grant Street, the sidewalks are property line with curbed sections and arecontinuous. The sidewalk west of Grant Street on the north side between Grant Street andKromminga Drive (high school Pine Street access) is a continuous property line sidewalk,alternating between a curbed section and a turnpike section. On the south side of Pine Street, thesidewalk is a property line sidewalk with a curbed section. The sidewalk terminatesapproximately 200 feet west of Grant Street.

On Grant Street at Pine Street, looking south.


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Grant Street Pedestrian Facilities: North of Pine Street, Grant Street has a continuous curb linesidewalk on the west side from Pine Street to the high school campus. The east side hasintermittent curbed sections, but no sidewalks. South of Pine Street, Grant Street is curbed, buthas no sidewalks.

Investigation: Pedestrian crossing activity was monitored and recorded. Five one-hour periodswere sampled. The weekday periods monitored were morning, midday, and afternoon times,during school operation. The conditions were daylight, dry, and sunny. 57 pedestrians wereobserved crossing within 100 feet of the intersection over the five hours studied. Approximately48% of those crossing appear to be school aged pedestrians associated with the high school. Theremainder are adults and do not appear to be associated with school activity.

Visibility: Visibility for pedestrians and drivers is good at this location.Street Lighting: A street light is located on the southeast corner.Posted Speed: 25 mph. The posted speed on Pine Street changes from 25 mph to 35 mphapproximately 350 feet west of Grant Street.

Pavement Width: Pine Street is 20 feet wide, curb to curb, on-street parking is not allowed.Existing Infrastructure Condition: The sidewalks adjacent to the proposed crosswalk location aregenerally in good condition. There are no ADA ramps present for this installation.Crosswalk Placement: If installed, the crosswalk should be installed on the west leg of theintersection. This lines up with the sidewalk installed on the west side of Grant Street betweenPine Street and the High School.

Recommendation: Based on our review, a warrant analysis produces 16 points. With a score of16 points, Marion County would have no objection to the installation and approval would be atthe Engineers discretion. It is recommended that a general pedestrian crosswalk (as opposed tojust a school crosswalk) be installed on the west leg of Pine Street NE at Grant Street NE. Theinstallation is subject to the following conditions:

1. The City of Silverton installing ADA-compliant ramps on the southwest and northwestcorners.

2. The City bring the street lighting up to recommended standards for this application. Thestreet lighting has been evaluated by PGE. The existing light on the southeast corner is a200 watt light. PGE said that to meet current lighting standards for an arterial facility, asecond 200 watt light needs to be installed on the north side of Pine Street. There is apole in place that would support the equipment. Since the City is responsible for payingthe bill on the street lights, they will have to agree to pay any additional costs. There aretwo options to get the light installed. Under Option A, PGE installs the equipment andretains ownership and maintenance responsibilities. The City would be billed $13.31 permonth. Under the second option, PGE would install the equipment and the City wouldown it. The City would pay a monthly operational charge of $10.37 per month. A roughestimate of the installed cost is $600.00 to $700.00.

3. Marion County crews will install the crosswalk legend and crosswalk signing at thecrosswalk and the advance signing for eastbound traffic after items 1 and 2 have beenaccomplished. The City of Silverton would install the advance signing for westboundtraffic.

4. The City of Silverton should mark crosswalks across each Grant Street leg where GrantStreet intersects Pine Street (stopped legs). This would better define the intendedcrossing locations and would serve to de-emphasize the east leg as a crossing point.


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CROSSWALK REVIEW

Grant Street at Florida Drive

October 16, 2009

Background: As part of the operational review related to the expansion and full occupation of

the Silverton High School Pine Street campus, staff has reviewed a crosswalk installation thatmay have been installed by the City of Silverton as far back as 1997. The crosswalk is locatedon Grant Street at Florida Drive on the south leg of the intersection and may have been installedto facilitate pedestrian circulation between the Schlador Street campus and the Pine Streetcampus. The crosswalk was installed without Marion County knowledge, consultation, orapproval. The crosswalk signing in place is incomplete and undersized. The crosswalk legend isvery faded.

The roadway jurisdiction is split at this location. The east leg of the intersection is under City ofSilverton jurisdiction. The Grant Street legs are under Marion County jurisdiction to a point 115feet south of Florida Drive.

The Grant Street and FloridaDrive intersection is a teeconfiguration with Grant Streettrending north and south.Florida Drive runs east andwest. The two roads intersectat a right angle and both arelocal streets. Grant Street has adaily traffic volume of 780vehicles per day on a typical

school day. The culture of thesurrounding area is urbanresidential. The high school, achurch, and approximately 10homes are located along thewest side of Grant Street. Theculture east and south ofFlorida Drive is urbanresidential.

Grant Street Pedestrian

Facilities: North of Pine Street, Grant Street has a continuous curb line sidewalk on the west sidefrom Pine Street to the high school campus. The east side has intermittent curbed sections, butno sidewalks. An ADA ramp is in place on the west side of Grant Street across from thesoutheast corner of Florida Drive. There is not a ramp that lines up with the northeast corner.The southeast corner at Florida Drive has an ADA ramp and sidewalk. The northeast corner iscurbed, but has no ADA ramps or sidewalk.

Florida Drive Pedestrian Facilities: Florida Drive has a curb line sidewalk on the south side thatruns continuous between Grant Street and James Street. This sidewalk connects into a crosswalkthat crosses James Street to the old high school campus. The north side of Florida Drive is aturnpike section with no sidewalks.

On Grant Street at Florida Drive, looking north toward

Silverton High School. The high school drop-off and

pedestrian access is on the left.


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Investigation: Pedestrian crossing activity was monitored and recorded. Six one-hour periodswere sampled. The weekday periods monitored were morning, midday, and afternoon times,during school operation. 382 pedestrians were observed crossing within 100 feet of theintersection over the six hours studied. Crossings occurred in three peak periods that coincidewith students coming to school in the morning, lunchtime activities (an early and a late lunch),

and school dismissal. The morning peak appears to be from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., the middaypeak is centered around the split lunch schedule, and the afternoon activity picks up at 2:00 andpeaks between 3:00 and 4:00. Approximately 98% of those crossing appear to be school agedpedestrians associated with the high school.

A crosswalk on the north side of the intersection would provide the most logical and directcrossing route to access the sidewalk installed on the south side of Florida Drive. A certainnumber of pedestrians will follow this route, seeing it as more direct than using the south leg.Approximately 20% of the pedestrians we observed crossed on the north side of Florida Drive,either at the intersection or thereabouts. It should be noted though that one large group in thispopulation was a group of 44 who appeared to be physical education students. The street light is

also located on this side of the intersection. Even with a bulb of adequate wattage, the streetlight may provide better illumination for a crosswalk located on the north leg as opposed to acrosswalk located on the south leg.

Visibility: Visibility for pedestrians and drivers is good at this location.Street Lighting. A street light is located on the northeast corner.Posted Speed : 25 mph.Pavement Width: Grant Street is approximately 30 feet wide, curb to curb.Existing Infrastructure Condition: The sidewalks adjacent to the proposed crosswalk location arein good condition. There are ADA ramps present on the south side of the intersection, there arenone on the north side. There is no sidewalk on the north side of Florida Drive.

Recommendation: Based on our review, a warrant analysis produces 64 points. With a score of64 points, Marion County would mark the crosswalk. It is recommended that a school crosswalkbe installed on Grant Street NE at Florida Drive NE. Even though the north leg may provide themost appropriate location based on pedestrian flow, because the sidewalk and ADA rampinfrastructure has been installed and configured to favor installing the crosswalk on the south leg,it is recommended that a school crosswalk be installed on the south leg. The installation issubject to the following conditions:

1. The street light wattage being evaluated and upgraded to an adequate level if it is foundto be deficient for the proposed crosswalk. Since the City is responsible for paying thebill on the street lights, they will have to agree to pay any additional costs (MarionCounty has requested a review by PGE and is awaiting the results.)

2. Marion County crews will install the crosswalk legend and crosswalk signing at thecrosswalk and the advance signing for southbound traffic. The City of Silverton wouldinstall the advance signing for northbound traffic.

Justification:1. The crossing volumes clearly warrant a crosswalk installation.2. Sidewalks and ADA ramps are in place for a crosswalk placed on the south leg of the

intersection. Placing the crosswalk on the north leg would require a financial investmentto install ADA ramps and additional sidewalk.


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3. The street light is located on the north side of the intersection on the northeast corner.This light should be close enough to a crosswalk placed on the south leg if the wattage ofthe bulb is adequate.

4. Because the intersection is a tee configuration with Florida being the stem, a crosswalkplaced on the south leg requires pedestrians to cross only one street. Placing a crosswalk

on the north leg would require pedestrians to cross Grant Street and Florida Drive toaccess the sidewalk on the south side of Florida Drive.


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SCHOOL SPEED ZONE REVIEW

Grant Street

October 19, 2009

Background: The Silverton High School Pine Street campus was opened for limited operation

in 1997. Through a bond measure, the school district, in 2009, was able to complete theconstruction of the campus and expand the use of the facility to encompass the entire high schoolstudent body. Prior to the expansion, the campus had been used only for grades 9 and 10.Classes for grades 11 and 12 were held at the Schlador Street campus on James Street. In 1997the City of Silverton and the Silver Falls School District requested that a SCHOOL SPEED 20(SS20) zone be installed on Pine Street along the high school frontage. That request was deniedbased on a number of factors.

At a meeting in March of 2009, the City of Silverton and the Silver Falls School District againdiscussed the desire to have a SS20 zone installed on Pine Street along the high school frontagein anticipation of safety problems. They also expressed interest in installing a SS20 zone on

Grant Street adjacent to the high school. Staff again informed them that would not be approvedbased on the same rational used in 1997, combined with several years of school operation withno problematic safety issues. Subsequent to this discussion, the City of Silverton submitted aresolution, supported by the school district and a number of local citizens, to the Marion CountyBoard of Commissioners requesting that the staff decision be overridden and that the schoolzones be installed as requested. As a result of the resolution, staff presented the resolutions tothe Board at a Management Update Meeting on October 5th, and indicated a more thoroughreview would be undertaken to review the school speed zones, along with a number of otherschool safety issues. The recommendations on the school zone requests would be brought backto the Board at a later Update meeting. The Board made it very clear at the meeting on October5th that they felt the requested school speed zones were very appropriate.

Grant Street Investigation: The Pine Street campus is accessed at three points. TheKromminga Drive access off of Pine Street provides access to student and visitor parking via a1,400-foot long access road. There are two accesses onto Grant Street. The northerly access isthe school bus and staff-only access. It is located at the north perimeter of the school groundsand serves predominantly bus and vehicular access, as opposed to pedestrians. The southerlyaccess is a student pick-up and drop-off access intended for private vehicles. This access is alsothe primary entry and exit point for pedestrian traffic related to the school. It is also the pointwhere the school facilities are most visible and recognizable from the roadway. The streetnetwork around the school is within the city limits of Silverton. On Grant Street, Marion Countyhas roadway jurisdiction from the north end of Grant Street (at the dead end) to a point 115 feet

south of Florida Drive. The City of Silverton takes over jurisdiction from this point south.

Grant Street is a two-lane roadway with a mix of pedestrian improvements. North of Pine Street,Grant Street has a continuous curb line sidewalk on the west side from Pine Street to the highschool campus which serves a significant amount of the southbound pedestrian movement to andfrom the school. The east side of Grant Street has intermittent curbed sections, but no sidewalks.

The culture of the surrounding area is urban residential. The high school, a church, andapproximately 10 homes are located along the west side of Grant Street. The east side of thestreet is residential. The posted speed on Grant Street is 25 mph. It is functionally classed as alocal street and carries a daily traffic volume of 780 vehicles per day on a typical school day.


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Activity in the vicinity of thecampus along Grant Streetwas observed over six, one-hour periods during school

operating times in Septemberand October of 2009.Almost 400 students wereobserved crossing GrantStreet over those six one-hour periods. Pedestrianmovements were heaviestfrom the school pick-upentrance and along FloridaDrive. A high number ofstudents walk to and from the

campus and their homesalong this route. Pedestriansinvolved with physicaleducation and sportsactivities were also presentalong this route in substantialnumbers. Movement alongGrant Street south of thecampus was not as heavy, butwas the other predominantpedestrian movementobserved. These twowalking routes serve virtuallyall of the pedestrians andcyclists for the campus asthey provide the most directroute between the school andSilvertons residential andcommercial areas. Relativelyfew students make use ofWestern Avenue, which istoo far north to serve thegeneral student driving,biking, or walkingpopulation.

Vehicle traffic was busiest around the student drop-off and pick-up access. This use tended topeak before school started in the morning and when school was dismissed in the afternoon.Peaks were relatively short, lasting about 15 minutes.

Observed activity north of the student drop-off and pick-up access was minimal. Pedestrianactivity is sparse, and the staff vehicle and school bus activity appeared to be fairly non-impactive and did not pose any particular safety concerns.

On Grant Street looking south from north of the student

drop-off and pick-up access. Adjacent frontage is residential.

On Grant Street looking north toward Florida Drive.Note sidewalk on west side of Grant Street and faded

crosswalk on south side of Florida Street.


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As detailed in the Grant Street at Florida Drive crosswalk review component of this report, it isrecommended that a school crosswalk be installed at the Grant Street and Florida Driveintersection on the south leg. City staff concurs with this recommendation and the jointinstallation will be pursued.

The high activity and potential conflict area on Grant Street is focused between Florida Driveand the student drop-off access area. Since a crosswalk is justified, and there is a very focusedarea of activity, a SCHOOL SPEED 20 zone to cover this area can be justified. Because most ofthe activity is related to the school, and the existing speed limit is only 25mph presently, asreduced school zone would likely receive fairly good compliance.

Recommendation: It is the recommendation of staff that a SCHOOL SPEED 20 zone beinstalled on Grant Street from 100 feet south of Florida Drive to a point 270 feet south ofWestern Avenue (at the north property line of the parcel located at 458 Grant Street). The limitsof this zone would be set to focus attention on the area where safety is compromised the mostbased on lots of crossing and potentially conflicting movements. We do not recommend the

zone extend any further south or north to avoid losing the highest level of impact on themotorists who need to heed it. This signing and the accompanying pavement legend would beincorporated with the school crosswalk installation at Florida Drive.

Installation: Per current Oregon Revised Statutes, we have the option of installing this schoolzone to be in effect between 7 AM to 5 PM on school days, or to be in effect WHEN LIGHTSFLASH, which would require a more expensive flashing light installation be installed. BecauseGrant Street is a local street with a posted speed limit of 25 mph, and school related activity isobvious and expected during extended morning, lunch and afternoon periods, posting for 7 AMto 5 PM would be our recommendation. The added expense of school flashing lights is notjustified or particularly beneficial at this location. The estimated cost to install the school speedzone with 7 AM to 5 PM signing is approximately $1,200.00. The cost to install a flasherinstallation would be in the $20,000 range, depending on power source issues.

With a 7 AM to 5PM installation, Marion County would install and maintain at Marion Countycost, all of the signing and pavement legends except for the school advance warning sign andschool crossing legend placed on the south leg of Grant Street for northbound traffic. The Cityof Silverton would be responsible for this.

If the flashing light installation was pursued, Marion County would facilitate the installation,provide the required installation parameters and maintain the completed installation, however theCity or the Silver Falls School District would be responsible for paying for all installation costs.


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SCHOOL SPEED ZONE REVIEW

Pine Street at Kromminga Drive

October 19, 2009

Background: The Silverton High School Pine Street campus was opened for limited operation

in 1997. Through a bond measure, the school district, in 2009, was able to complete theconstruction of the campus and expand the use of the facility to encompass the entire high schoolstudent body. Prior to the expansion, the campus had been used only for grades 9 and 10.Classes for grades 11 and 12 were held at the Schlador Street campus on James Street. In 1997the City of Silverton and the Silver Falls School District requested that a SCHOOL SPEED 20(SS20) zone be installed on Pine Street along the new high school frontage. That request wasdenied given the configuration of the campus, the length of the Kromminga Drive access, thedistance of the school from Pine Street, and the lack of school activity adjacent to Pine Street,and because engineering standards strongly recommend against the installation of school speedzones for high schools. This approach was consistent with state and national guidance on theapplication of school speed zones. Even if it were a grade or middle school, these conditions

would not warrant a school speed zone.

At a meeting in March of 2009, the City of Silverton and the Silver Falls School District againdiscussed the desire to have a SS20 zone installed on Pine Street along the high school frontagein anticipation of safety problems related to the completion of the high school expansion. Staffagain informed them that would not be approved based on the same rationale used in 1997,combined with several years of school operation with no problematic safety issues. Subsequentto this discussion, the City of Silverton submitted a resolution, supported by the school districtand a number of local citizens, to the Marion County Board of Commissioners requesting thatthe staff decision be overridden and that a school zone be installed as requested. As a result ofthis submittal, staff presented the resolutions to the Board at a Management Update meeting on

October 5th, and indicated a more thorough review would be undertaken to review the schoolspeed zones, along with a number of other school safety issues. The recommendations on theschool zone requests would be brought back to the Board at a later Update meeting. The Boardmade it very clear at the meeting on October 5th that they felt the requested school speed zoneswere very appropriate.

Investigation: The Pine Street campus is accessed at three points. The Kromminga Driveaccess off of Pine Street provides access to student and visitor parking via a 1,400 foot longaccess road. There are two accesses onto Grant Street. One is the school bus and staff-onlyaccess. And the other is a student pick-up and drop-off and pedestrian access. These areas arewithin the city limits of Silverton, however, Marion County has roadway jurisdiction.

The culture of the surrounding area is urban residential. The posted speed on Pine Street is 35mph. It is functionally classified as an arterial and has a 2009 estimated traffic volume of 4,050vehicles per day. Pine Street is a two-lane roadway with 3-4 foot wide paved shoulders. Theschool frontage on Pine Street is only 250 feet long, and consists of the access road connection,landscaping, and a Silverton High School monument sign. The high school facilities are not inview from Pine Street for vehicles traveling in either direction. There is a left turn refuge and aright turn deceleration lane located on Pine Street at Kromminga Drive, which were installed in1997. There is a street light located on a pole on the south side of Pine Street oppositeKromminga Drive. As part of the 2009 campus expansion, missing sections of a walkway were


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added along the north side of Pine Street to complete the link between Grant Street andKromminga Drive. The area otherwise lacks curb and sidewalk improvements.

Pedestrian and vehicular activitywas monitored and recorded along

the Pine Street frontage. Four one-hour periods were sampled. Theperiods monitored were morningand afternoon times, during schooloperation. A total of only fivestudents were observed crossingPine Street over the four hoursstudied. All five of these studentswere observed in a 7:00 to 8:00a.m. time period. Only two otherschool-related pedestrians were

even observed walking along PineStreet in this area.

Vehicular activity peaked at schooldismissal times, but moved easilyinto traffic with little delay orbackup in the access. Adequategaps in traffic were available at allobserved times to facilitate safeand orderly movements on and offthe roadway. The most criticalperiod of potential vehicle conflictwould be the afternoon peak trafficperiod, however, the peak schooltraffic time does not coincide withthe peak traffic time on PineStreet, which is later. Virtually allother traffic conflicts have beenminimized by the existence of theturn refuges.

As discussed in the Grant StreetSchool Zone Review, the majorityof the activity related to the schoolis occurring on Grant Street sinceit most directly serves the student

walking and biking population, and also contains the most desirable and pedestrian- friendlyaccess to the school facilities. By comparison, the Pine Street access is almost the back doorto the campus on a daily functional level.

Given the roadside culture described above, the extremely low level of pedestrian and bicycleactivity measured, the lack of vehicular delay and conflict issues, and the higher level status andspeed of the roadway, a reduced school speed zone is not warranted or advisable at this location.

On Pine Street looking west towards Kromminga Drive.

Note the right turn deceleration lane and sidewalks.

On Pine Street looking east towards Kromminga Drive.Note the left turn pocket and the added green guide sign

to assist motorists in finding the school.


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This conclusion would even apply if it were serving an elementary or middle school instead of ahigh school, given the findings of our field reviews. Though subtle, there are additional reasonsthat the installation of a school zone is not advisable at this location. These include thefollowing:

1.

Compliance with school speed zones is extremely difficult to obtain, even with regularenforcement and lots of roadside school activity. It is almost impossible to obtain whenthe average motorist cannot see and experience an activity level that supports the need todrive a reduced speed. For this reason, school speed zones should be applied judiciouslyand reserved for locations where the need is the greatest, where the driving public canrelate their need to reduce speed to what is occurring near the roadway, and theinstallation is likely to improve safety on a regular basis.

2. The lack of activity relating to a school speed zone will assist in desensitizing the drivingpublic to the value of school speed zones and will be perceived as a speed trap andrevenue generating application, particularly if it is enforced with any regularity. Withoutregular enforcement, compliance is expected to be very low over time.

3.

It may serve to compromise safety at the proposed new crosswalk on Pine Street roughly1/3 of a mile to the east at Grant Street. Motorists who feel forced to comply withreduced speed zones, particularly school speed zones, tend to focus their attention onwhether enforcement is present, and then speed up as soon as they leave the end of thezone. This takes their focus off of other roadway issues. The more active pedestriancrossing to be located at Grant Street is the more important traffic control device that wewant the Pine Street motorists to see and heed.

Recommendation: For the reasons discussed above, staff recommends against installing aschool speed zone on Pine Street as requested by the City and the School District. It is staffsopinion that a school speed zone will not provide any real safety benefit, and may actually have anegative impact on overall school area safety and driver compliance.

If the Board determines that it is appropriate to install a formal school speed zone along the PineStreet frontage, staff would highly recommend that it only be allowed if:

1. it is a flashing light installation that meets County equipment and installationspecifications, and

2. the installation is funded by either the City of Silverton or the School District.Marion County, as the road jurisdiction, would own the equipment and be responsible for theoperation and maintenance of the school speed zone installation in accordance with provisions ofthe Oregon Revised Statutes. It would only be operated at distinct school arrival and dismissaltimes and would only be effective and enforceable when the lights are actually flashing. Theprogramming of the installation would occur remotely from the County offices via a wirelesspaging system. The actual installation costs would be in the $20,000 range depending upon thetype of power source available and other construction issues, and would be in addition to anyengineering and permit costs related to development of plans, etc.


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SCHOOL AREA REVIEW

James Street at Old High School Campus

October 19, 2009

Background: The roadway jurisdiction is split on James Street. James Street from Hobart Road

to Florida Drive is under Marion County jurisdiction. James Street south of Florida Drive isunder the jurisdiction of the City of Silverton. Florida Drive is also under the jurisdiction of theCity of Silverton. James Street is classified as a neighborhood collector in the SilvertonTransportation System Plan. James Street has a 2009 estimated traffic volume of 1,750 vehiclesper day. The culture of the surrounding area is urban residential to the west and the south. Theculture to the north is acreage residential and agriculture. The posted speed on James Street is 25mph.

A SCHOOL SPEED 20 (SS20) zone was previously in place on James Street in the vicinity ofthe old high school campus (Schlador Street campus). The limits of the zone extended from ashort distance north of Florida Drive on the north end to near Pine Street on the south end with

the majority of the reduced speed zone located within the city. Two crosswalks across JamesStreet were contained within the SS20 zone limits. On the north end at Florida Drive, thesouthbound SS20 signing was positioned to cover the school crosswalk located just inside citylimits at Florida Drive. In preparation to move all classroom activity to the new Pine Streetcampus in 2009, the City of Silverton removed the SS20 zone signing, thereby removing thespeed limit 20 restrictions. The crosswalk installations were left in place.

Investigation: The old highschool campus is not being usedfor classroom activity. The schooldistrict is using building space for

offices and the school staff hassome athletic offices there also.Sports activities being conductedat this campus are after schoolsports only, including football,track, and varsity baseball. ThePine Street campus is at capacityfor student parking. Toaccommodate the overflow, somestudent have been allowed to parkvehicles along James Street

adjacent to the sports fields (northof Florida Drive.) The students

then walk to the Pine Street campus. We have seen only minimal use of this overflow parkingduring our field observations

Pedestrian circulation between the two campuses is fairly active. The James Street crosswalk atFlorida Drive lines up with the sidewalk installed on the south side of Florida Drive that runscontinuously between Grant Street and James Street. Pedestrian crossing activity was monitoredand recorded. The weekday periods monitored were morning and afternoon times, during schooloperation. The conditions were daylight, sunny, and dry. 252 pedestrians were observedcrossing within 100 feet of the crosswalk over the four hours studied. Approximately 99% of

On James Street looking south towards Florida Drive.


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those crossing appear to be school aged pedestrians associated with the high school. Largergroups of students related to sports activities were common.

Recommendation:

1. Maintain the school zone and crosswalk signing in its current configuration. MarionCounty will maintain all signs and pavement legends located north of Florida Drive. TheCity of Silverton shall maintain the crosswalk markings at Florida Drive and allpavement legends and signs located south of Florida Drive.

2. Discuss with the City of Silverton issues related to the location and condition of theircrosswalk signing. The City has requested that their crews upgrade the signs to conformwith MUTCD standards.


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STOP SIGN REVIEW

Grant Street at Western AvenueOctober 16, 2009

Background: As part of the operational review related to the expansion and full occupation of

the Silverton High School Pine Street campus, staff has reviewed a STOP sign that appears tohave been installed by the City of Silverton between 2003 and 2006. The STOP sign is locatedon Western Avenue at Grant Street on the east leg of the intersection. The crosswalk wasinstalled without Marion County knowledge, consultation, or approval. The roadway jurisdictionat this location belongs to Marion County.

Investigation: Staff ranSTOP sign warrants anddetermined that with theadditional traffic generatedby the high school

operation, this STOP signon Western Avenue iswarranted. Based on thewarrant analysis, and whichlegs are considered to bethe major street, two-waystop control couldconceivably be installed oneither street. From aneighborhood and driverperspective, Grant Street

would be considered themajor street, whichsupports stopping WesternAvenue at Grant Street.

Recommendation: Allow the STOP sign installation to remain. The following maintenanceitems need to be performed:

1. Replace the round steel pipe installation with a wood post installation. Marion Countycrews can coordinate this work with the City crews so that the City crews are on site andwhen the wood post installation has been completed, they can remove the pipeinstallation.

2. Install a stop bar on Western Avenue at Grant Street.Justification:

1. The STOP sign has been in place for three to six years. Area drivers are used to it in itspresent location.

2. No operational or safety problems have been reported related to this installation.3. The through nature of Grant Street (direct connection between the high school and Pine

Street) support stopping Western Avenue as opposed to Grant Street.

On Western Avenue at Grant Street looking west.

(Note that Western Avenue is aligned with the high school

bus/faculty access which also has a STOP sign.)

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Silverton High School Study

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