Freight industry at odds with the city

Last week's COACT (Central Oregon Area Commission on Transportation) meeting found the City of Sisters at odds with freight industry representatives over the potential of a roundabout at Barclay Drive and Highway 20.

"They (the freight industry) are saying that a signal, not a roundabout, was the condition of the freight industry buying in to the design exception granted for Cascade Avenue renovation project," City Manager Eileen Stein told the city council last week. "The freight industry is saying that... by moving toward a roundabout feasibility study the city is backing away from its agreement so we (the freight industry) are backing away from our approval of the design exception."

If the freight industry follows through on their threat, the Cascade Avenue renovation project could be put in jeopardy. ODOT meets on September 13 to kick off the planning timeline for the Cascade Avenue project. Currently, the state traffic engineer's mandate prohibits ODOT from considering anything other than a light at Barclay for traffic control. This is a statewide freight route mandate (forced by the freight industry) reversing ODOT's earlier position to consider roundabouts in preference to lights wherever possible.

Stein said, "The minutes of the earlier meeting (where the design exception was approved) reflect that freight industry said it would be OK to consider a roundabout. As the minutes were being reviewed, that point was allegedly missed by both the ODOT staff and the city staff as well."

Through community meetings, the city will continue to draw public input on citizens' preference between traffic lights or roundabouts. At the same time, they will attempt to engage in discussions with the freight industry lobby in an attempt to find some common ground.

One concept being considered by both ODOT and the city is a temporary light on Highway 20 at Barclay while a more permanent solution to traffic flow/congestion is being developed.