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Sherwood plans traffic safety committee elevation as city weighs short-term enforcement at 99/Sunset
Summary
City advisory members discussed repeated driver behavior at the 99 Eastbound-to-Sunset intersection, longer-term lane changes managed by ODOT and consensus to elevate the Traffic Safety Committee to a standalone advisory board with a council liaison; a major pedestrian-bridge move is scheduled March 8 and will require temporary closures.
Board members and staff spent substantial time on local traffic concerns, focusing on recurring risky merges where the 99 eastbound turn lanes meet Sunset Drive, possible near-term enforcement, longer-term engineering changes requiring state approval and an administrative change elevating the Traffic Safety Committee to a separate advisory board.
The intersection problem: members described repeated last‑second lane changes by drivers taking the hard-right turn lane off 99 then quickly cutting across to merge. That behavior, attendees said, creates pedestrian risk when a vehicle in the left lane stops and a turning vehicle tries to cut across. Staff noted long-term engineering proposals have included removing the right‑turn lane to force earlier merges and altering left-turn lane geometry; those changes would require Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) approval because the segment is on a state highway.
Short-term option: enforcement. Several board members and police staff said the immediate remedy is increased enforcement and strategic officer placement, while acknowledging that visible enforcement is often temporary and that cameras or other monitoring could also help. One attendee suggested installing a traffic camera to document last‑minute lane changes and support citations or insurance claims.
Traffic Safety Committee elevation
Members who attended a December council work session reported the committee has grown beyond its original scope and that most participants favored elevating it to a standalone advisory board reporting directly to the City Council. The stated plan is to expand membership (proposal from 7 to 9 members), retain representation from the Police Advisory Board (two liaisons) and add a council liaison; the city attorney is drafting required language and staff indicated an implementation target of July 1.
Pedestrian bridge move and short-term closures
Staff reported the city—s planned pedestrian bridge relocation will require weekend closure of sections of Highway 99. The engineer said the bridge move is currently scheduled for March 8; planned closures were described as overnight beginning approximately 10:00 p.m. and reopening around 5:00 a.m., with the official detour routed but substantial local diversion expected that weekend.
Who will work on it: Police and traffic staff noted the city—s traffic officer (Chris Pierce) and patrol captains will monitor problem locations and provide analysis; Dan Miller (city compliance officer) and Bill Collins (community service officer) were identified as enforcement and parking resources when issues fall to municipal code enforcement versus law enforcement.
Next steps
- City attorney to prepare ordinance/bylaws language enabling the standalone Traffic Safety Board; staff expect to publicize openings for new board members. - Police and traffic staff to continue short-term enforcement at the 99/Sunset intersection and to share data with the new board when formed.
Ending: Board members encouraged residents to track detour guidance for the bridge move and to bring safety concerns to the newly empowered traffic body once created.
