West Keizer neighbors request speed‑limit sign with attention flags after volunteers' speed study

Rhonda Rich, president of the West Keizer Neighborhood Association, asked the Keizer Traffic Safety, Bikeways & Pedestrian Committee on July 17 to add a speed‑limit sign with high‑visibility orange attention flags at the northwest corner of Mambron Drive and Rowan to address residents’ safety concerns.

Why it matters: Neighbors say they feel unsafe walking and working in front yards on the block and want a visible reminder for drivers that the speed limit is 25 mph. Committee members and Public Works staff said they would review the request and assess whether the sign and related low‑cost measures are feasible without City Council approval.

Rich told the committee that neighborhood volunteers had submitted a Neighborhood Traffic Management Program application and had participated in a field speed survey. “Their perception, which is their reality, is that they feel unsafe on their street while walking and gardening in their front yards of their homes,” she said during the public comment period.

Keizer Police Officer Powell volunteered to conduct radar observations during the neighborhood’s chosen peak hours on May 27 and reported back to the committee. “The combined speed average was 24.2 miles an hour,” Powell said, and added that, during the sampling window he recorded 172 vehicles and “only 9 that were over 30, and all of them were under 35,” with a top recorded speed of 34 mph.

Committee members and residents discussed low‑cost interim options such as installing a speed sign with attention flags, paint treatments (chevrons or transverse markings) and a neighborhood watch attachment to the signpost. Public Works staff said the department would “look into it and assess” the request and that installing a speed‑limit sign with an attention device could be done without City Council approval, citing a recent, similar installation on Park Meadow.

The committee noted the difference between objective counts and residents’ subjective safety perceptions. Some members urged the committee to consider a tiered approach: start with lower‑cost visual measures and escalate to engineering treatments only if monitoring shows persistent problems.

Next steps and context: Public Works committed to evaluate the corner at Rowan and Mambron and report back. The committee discussed whether to revisit criteria used by the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program when community concern is high but measured counts fall short of program thresholds.

Ending: The committee did not vote on a formal remedy at the meeting; staff said they would follow up with the neighborhood after conducting an internal assessment and confirming feasible options.