Resident urges North Bend to push for lower 101 speed limit near waterfront after recent fatality

Dean Lundy, a North Bend resident, told the City Council on Oct. 14 that a stretch of U.S. Highway 101 that passes the city is dangerous and asked the council to press for a lower posted speed.

"Coos Bay is starting new businesses along that corridor, and it's just — what I'm asking is North Bend has to agree with Coos Bay to cut it down to 40, and I'm asking North Bend not to agree with Coos Bay and cut it down to 35," Lundy said during the public comment period.

Lundy said he owns property adjacent to the waterfront near Planet Fitness and described vehicles traveling at high speed around a blind corner and drivers turning across multiple lanes. He told council members the roadway is ‘‘blood alley’’ and cited a recent fatality in the area.

City staff and council members in the meeting referenced prior contacts with the Oregon Department of Transportation and representatives who inspected the corridor, but no formal council action on speed limits was taken at the Oct. 14 meeting. Lundy told the council the city should support a 35 mph limit on the segment rather than the 40 mph reduction ODOT reportedly proposed in coordination with Coos Bay.

Why it matters: Speed limits on Highway 101 affect pedestrian and vehicle safety for North Bend residents, waterfront property access and new commercial development along the corridor. Lundy's remarks requested council direction to oppose a 40 mph posted speed and advocate for 35 mph.

What council said or did: The comments were received during the meeting's public comment period. The mayor and staff did not announce immediate follow-up action during the meeting; the city administrator and city recorder said they would take notes and the record will include the testimony.

Attribution note: The article attributes the specific safety concerns and the 35-mph request to Dean Lundy, who spoke at the microphone during public comment.