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Residents urge City of Orange to repair dangerous roads and fix high-risk Edelman–Memorial intersection
Summary
Residents told the City of Orange council that WAC Road and the Edelman–Memorial intersection are hazardous, citing recent collisions and a fatality; commenters asked the city to reduce speed limits, improve drainage, add signage and install physical protections. The council agreed to place traffic mitigation for Edelman–Memorial on a future agenda and staff said it would follow up.
Public comments at the April 14 City of Orange council meeting pressed elected officials to act on repeated crashes and dangerous road conditions in the city’s north neighborhoods.
Chris Sauer, who identified himself to the council, said the condition of WAC Road factored into a recent fatal crash and urged the council to reduce the current 50 mph limit to 30 mph to help law enforcement control speeds. “The state of that road is horrendous,” he said, adding that poor drainage and truck traffic from nearby concrete and dirt pits are undermining the road base.
Bill Bruce, who said he is general manager of the Moren Wildlife Foundation, told the council he travels the same road daily and has seen numerous wrecks and “ruts coming north south.” Bruce said shoulders and drainage fail when it rains and asked the council to determine whether the road is a city or county responsibility and to study repairs.
Tanya Drake, who asked that the matter be placed on a council agenda, described repeated collisions at the T intersection of Edelman Road and Memorial Drive, including a crash that struck her property on April 6. Drake asked the city’s public works and police departments to conduct an immediate traffic-safety review and to consider enhanced solar-powered flashing signage, oversized “stop ahead” signs, rumble strips on Edelman Road and guardrails or reinforced bollards to protect private yards.
Another resident, identified in the record as Mr. Russ, described two major crashes at his home over the last seven months and said temporary counters and cameras have not reduced speeding. “This is the second big incident,” he told the council, and urged officials to act before someone is killed.
Council members and the mayor acknowledged the comments and the mayor asked staff to place the Edelman–Memorial item on a future agenda; the city manager later reiterated a request to prioritize the site and Cooper’s Gully maintenance before hurricane season. Public works staff said they will inspect drainage, traffic patterns and signage and report back to the council with options.
The city offered no immediate project timeline at the meeting and did not commit specific funding; residents requested a formal safety review and physical mitigations including speed reduction, signage, rumble strips and guardrails.
