Neighbors press planning commission to reclassify White Oak Drive to allow speed bumps after repeated crashes

Lisa Cochran, a resident of White Oak Drive, asked the Planning Commission to reclassify a stretch of White Oak from a major collector to a minor collector so the neighborhood could install speed bumps and other traffic‑calming measures. Cochran described a pattern of crashes at a hairpin curve near Student Park and presented photos and letters of support from neighbors and Council Member Castillo.

"We can barely have two cars going in there," Cochran said, recounting more than a dozen crashes she had observed since moving to the block and citing a specific severe crash on June 12 that caused major property damage. She said previous traffic‑calming measures had not solved the high‑speed problem and that reclassification was the necessary step to request speed bumps.

Neighbors including Jared Gregory spoke in support, calling the reclassification a low‑cost way to address an ongoing safety hazard. Commissioners asked about traffic flow patterns and whether crashes were primarily occurring in one direction; Cochran said speeds and crashes occurred in both directions and that late‑night traffic from nearby commercial corridors contributed to the problem.

Staff recorded the comments and noted that the item will return for a recommendation hearing in September after the Aug. 22 application update.