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Traffic Safety Commission will revisit Illinois/North Main intersection and ask ODOT to brief commission
Summary
After public comments and debate over safety metrics, the commission voted to place the Illinois/North Main intersection on the October agenda to review potential low‑cost mitigation and to request ODOT attend; commissioners discussed a preparatory work session and how to handle ODOT's availability.
The Traffic Safety Commission voted to add the Illinois/North Main intersection to its October agenda and asked staff to invite the Oregon Department of Transportation to present possible mitigation options and policy constraints.
The move came after a lengthy discussion of the council’s recent instruction to reopen the intersection and numerous public comments about traffic flow, freight access and lack of community notice. Commissioner (S8) moved to include the intersection on the October agenda “to come up with some proposed solutions,” and staff (S3) seconded the motion; the chair called the motion passed after an affirmative voice vote.
Public commenters urged the commission to pursue practical, low‑cost measures before pursuing large‑scale reconstruction. Kathy Meyer, who identified herself as the owner of a large former PPM Technologies site, said the property’s transportation connectivity to Highways 240 and 219 and rail is crucial to marketing the building to new employers. “If you bring in goods from the rail… they’ll send it out by truck,” Meyer said, and she warned that the closure shifted traffic onto minor residential streets and raised equity concerns for neighbors.
Resident Barb Trask, who lives near the intersection, said daily walking and crossing at the junction are “a little sketchy.” She urged the commission to pursue visibility improvements and speed mitigation. Commissioners also discussed site‑distance issues, overgrown vegetation on islands, and whether limiting left turns or other operational changes could reduce congestion.
Staff reported ODOT’s preliminary position that crash data alone does not place the intersection on state priority lists; commissioners and residents argued that relying only on crash counts can miss congestion‑driven safety risks. Commissioners asked staff to request that ODOT attend the October meeting and to highlight both lower‑cost mitigation options (signage, vegetation trimming, curb changes) and whether the agency has seen comparable intersections and what solutions worked elsewhere.
What happens next: staff will invite ODOT to the October meeting; if ODOT is unavailable staff will coordinate a special work session (likely September) so commissioners can prepare questions and possible local options in advance.
Quoted sources: Kathy Meyer (property owner), Barb Trask (resident), staff and commissioners.
