City continues to wrestle with couplet options

After months of brainstorming, it's not getting easier for citizens and city officials to design a couplet alternative that will not close off access to Cascade Avenue -- and will still win state approval.

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) challenged plans from the city's consultant, CTS Engineers, and the citizen's Couplet Advisory Committee (CAC), in February. The plans were to relieve traffic congestion from Cascade Avenue by building a westbound Hood Avenue and an eastbound Main Avenue and making them the state highways.

The proposal allowed highway traffic to have the option to continue straight onto Cascade Avenue.

But ODOT said the sharp right-hand turn needed to access Main Avenue from the Locust Street/Cascade Avenue intersection would not comply with federal regulations for a highway. Drivers of large trucks and other through-traffic would want to continue straight onto Cascade Avenue, ODOT officials said.

In a workshop on Thursday, April 29, city councilors expressed their distrust of ODOT and talked about the council's responsibility to push a traffic relief option which will be in the best interest of the citizens.

"There have been many times little cities do not prevail (against state transportation officials) and they regret it," said Lon Kellstrom, councilor. "But ODOT, with their goals and concerns -- they don't care about us. We need to step up and make our voices heard."

ODOT officials are also discouraging diagonal parking on Hood Avenue and Main Avenue if they become state highways, said Eileen Stein, city manager.

She said ODOT would allow parallel parking, but that would result in fewer parking spaces.

"They say they don't want us to have parking on Hood Avenue and Main Avenue, I mean, come on, why don't you just shoot us in the head," said Kellstrom at the workshop.

The CAC reviewed four couplet options in their meeting last week. The first option keeps Cascade Avenue as the state highway and makes the Hood Avenue/Main Avenue couplet local streets.

This option would limit the city's control over Cascade Avenue, and only allow the city to close it off for special events once a year, Stein said.

"We hoped Cascade Avenue would revert to a local street and we would have more control over a local street," Stein said. "Now, we only have permission to close Cascade once a year for the rodeo."

The second option, which was presented by ODOT, completely closes off access to Cascade Avenue from Highway 20 between Locust Street and Larch Street.

Vehicles would access Cascade Avenue by using the Hood Avenue/Main Avenue couplet and then turning onto a side street.

ODOT favored this option because they said it would eliminate the traffic back-up on Highway 20 that would occur if vehicles had to make a choice to go straight onto Cascade Avenue or turn onto the couplet, according to Stein.

The third option allows traffic to enter town by continuing straight onto Cascade Avenue, but only allows cars to leave town by taking a side street to access the couplet.

The fourth option allows traffic to leave town by continuing straight on Cascade Avenue, but only allows them to enter Cascade Avenue by taking a side street off of the couplet.

No decision has been made regarding any of the options, and Stein said the CAC is still brainstorming to find a feasible option, preferably one which encourages access to Cascade Avenue and allows Cascade Avenue to be a local street.

Eric Dolson, publisher of The Nugget and member of the CAC, configured a fifth option. Dolson informally presented a sketch of the drawing to Stein and Brian Rankin, city planner, on Thursday, April 29.

Dolson's option shifts the westbound Highway 20 right-of-way to the right so that it cuts through a portion of the school tennis courts near the Highway 20/Locust Street intersection.

This shift softens the right-hand turn needed to access the one-way Main Avenue.

Also in Dolson's option, an entry road would be built on the eastern end of Locust Street to allow access to Highway 20.

The existing westbound access to Cascade Avenue would be closed. Stein and Rankin expressed approval of this option.

The CAC will meet again to review couplet options in their next meeting on Monday, May 17.