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Council weighs ODOT 5‑mph cut and enforcement options after Highway 26 speed study
Summary
ODOT’s speed study found a high rate of speeding on Highway 26; the state recommended a modest 5‑mph reduction in one segment (55→50) but did not support a larger reduction closer to town. Councilors discussed pursuing a Speed Zone Review Panel with additional local data, deploying focused patrols and grant‑funded overtime, and evaluating photo‑enforcement technology; staff will return with a refined enforcement/technology plan at the next work session.
City staff briefed the council on an ODOT speed‑zone investigation for a stretch of Highway 26 from the Tenike area toward Canyon Valley Road; ODOT’s fieldwork showed that in one sampled segment roughly 96% of vehicles exceeded the posted speed and recommended a five‑mile‑per‑hour reduction in a limited area. The state’s assessment tied its recommendation to crash history and the OAR‑guided speed‑zone criteria, and concluded much of the observed speeding is an enforcement problem rather than a strict engineering justification for a large posted‑limit reduction.
Councilors asked whether the city should accept ODOT’s recommendation (55→50 in one segment), reject it and ask a Speed Zone Review Panel to consider broader local data and a different posted speed, or instead deploy additional enforcement and technology such as targeted saturation patrols, a radar trailer or automated photo enforcement. Staff said the city has collected longer‑term speed data (radar trailer and other counts) that could be presented to a review panel and reported that ODOT allows the city to choose to either concur or present additional evidence to the panel. Public speakers urged more aggressive change closer to town where they described hazardous turning conditions.
Police and public‑safety staff recommended a mix of approaches: targeted enforcement missions (focused patrols and grant overtime) this summer coupled with pursuing broader technology options and, if warranted, a formal presentation to the Speed Zone Review Panel seeking a different posted limit. Several councilors favored negotiating a middle ground request to ODOT — for example, leaving the outer segment at 40 and seeking 35 (rather than 25) near downtown — while simultaneously expanding enforcement. Staff will bring a traffic‑technology briefing back to the April 20 work session and outline enforcement options and budget implications.
