Citizens fear tragedy at intersection

Crossing the street with school children at the Locust Street and Highway 20 intersection is a harrowing experience for Leslie Waltz, a Sisters Elementary School teacher.

Waltz regularly escorts children across the crosswalk before and after school. She has been very concerned about the dangers of this intersection for some time, and it is good news from her perspective that a group of concerned parents have taken up the cause.

The intersection houses the first crosswalk when traffic enters Sisters from the east. This crosswalk is in a school zone for Sisters Elementary School, but that factor seems to make little difference to the vehicles that are circulating through the City of Sisters.

There are two problems with the intersection that have been identified by the concerned parent group.

First is that few drivers travel at the speed limit (see related story, page 29). The speeding drivers have less reaction time to handle any emergencies, such as when unaccompanied children rush across the street before and after school.

The problem at this intersection does not affect only children; it is just that they are much more vulnerable. Numerous adults have had close calls, as well.

Angi Gardinier, Superintendent of Transportation for Sisters School District, said, "I saw something awful yesterday (November 16). I was waiting to turn and an older gentleman was crossing the road, and no one was stopping. I saw a car swerve around him and it came so close to him, that he slapped the car with his hand as it passed him."

She went on to relate that the car didn't even slow down as it continued on its way.

"I was thinking, if that would have been a child, it would have been killed," she said.

Kelly Eyerly, a resident of Crossroads, says that it is not just the pedestrians who have to beware.

"I have been nearly hit twice by cars failing to yield right of way as I was turning on to Locust Street," she said.

She said the cars came out of Buck Run and jetted across Highway 20 to go to the elementary school when they did not have the right of way. Eyerly has now decided that the intersection is too dangerous for her to use, and so she avoids it when possible by using a back street.

The other problem with the intersection is congestion which causes many drivers to pass illegally on the right. Passing on the right poses an additional danger to children who, because of their size, are often not seen by drivers when illegally passing on the right. The congestion also poses problems for the school buses as they attempt to enter onto Highway 20.

Waltz has been concerned about the problem for some time but has always felt that she was not being very effective bringing about any change.

"I am so glad that a parent took it (the dangerous intersection) up because a parent will be listened to," she said. "This is much more of an issue than a passing lane on the other side of town."

And most Sisters' residents would agree.

Cheryl Stewart, who is a concerned parent, has taken up the cause and wants to find a solution before someone is injured at the intersection.

Stewart said, "The issue of safety at the intersection came up at the parent group."

Stewart said she was unwilling to just sit on the sidelines and decided that action needed to be taken before a tragedy occurs.

Stewart worked together with Ilene Wells, President of the Sisters Parent Teacher Community (SPTC), to draft letters and organize petitions to be distributed to anyone and everyone who could possibly have some effect on finding a solution to the problem. They have so far gathered about 250 signatures and the petition has been forwarded to everyone from the Sisters mayor and city council members to ODOT, Governor Kulongoski and state and local legislators.

Stewart aired her concerns to the Sisters School Board at the board's meeting on November 13. Rob Corrigan expressed that he is supportive of Stewart's efforts, and school board members agreed to network with the city council and write a letter to bring the problem to ODOT's attention. Board member Glen Lasken, additionally, suggested contacting Deschutes County Sheriff Les Stiles to see if the sheriff will assist in solving the problem.

ODOT has plans for installing a traffic signal at Locust Street and at Barclay Drive at the other end of town in 2010, but nothing is certain until ODOT and the city work out how much the project costs and who will pay the lion's share of costs.