Public works committee previews Applegate Safe Routes striping plan; neighbors press parking and visibility concerns

The Philomath Public Works Committee heard a presentation and neighborhood discussion on a Safe Routes to School striping project that would add dedicated bike lanes and shift parking to the south side of Applegate Street between 15th and 21st. Staff said the project incorporates recommendations from a traffic safety report the city and the school district commissioned and that a major striping package is budgeted this fiscal year.

Unidentified Speaker 2, presenting a map, described the basic geometry: “This pink line represents the, parking lane, which will be approximately 8 feet in width,” and said bike lanes would meet the minimum five‑foot width requirement. Staff explained the plan would install a shifted centerline and associated thermal‑plastic bike symbols and that county crews would be used to complete the striping.

Neighbors focused on after‑school pickup, visibility and truck activity near True Value and timber supply. Jill, a nearby resident, recounted a local collision: “We had a kiddo that was on his way to school get hit. The driver just did not see him,” and said that experience made her favor parking on the north side so children could remain on the south sidewalk and be closer to established crossing points.

Committee members and staff discussed options to reduce conflicts and improve visibility: short‑term (10–20 minute) curb‑time limits for drop‑off during school hours, painted no‑parking zones near intersections to prevent blind stops, and a public‑education push at the start of school with police and fire present. Staff noted the engineer recommended south‑side parking for the corridor and cautioned that alternating parking patterns would complicate the centerline geometry and lane alignment.

On timing and cost, staff described a short striping effort—a one‑day operation with a multi‑day window—and indicated the work would be done before school starts; a tentative window discussed in the meeting was between July 22 and 24. Committee members noted that the council had set aside $100,000 for similar projects this fiscal year and that Gary’s latest estimate for this package was roughly $25,000–$30,000.

Members also raised accessibility and crossing improvements: some crosswalks lack curb cuts and adding ADA‑compliant ramps will increase costs (participants discussed a rough per‑ramp figure during the meeting). Staff said ramp and crosswalk work can be staged and added after initial striping if needed. The committee agreed to follow the engineer’s plan, add targeted signage and outreach, and consider temporary staffing or school‑district coordination for the opening weeks.

Next steps include finalizing signage language and timing, confirming the contractor window, and follow‑up meetings to review any additional curb‑cut or crosswalk work. No formal council vote on the striping was recorded in the meeting minutes; staff said they would bring additional details back to the committee or council as required.