City mulls truck route, intersection options

A public open house will be held sometime in the next month to present possible solutions to traffic issues at the Locust/Highway 20 intersection by Sisters Elementary School, the intersection of Highway20/Highway126, and a possible improved truck route along West Barclay Drive. The public will be invited to comment on the options.

The Technical Advisory Committee that has been reviewing possible refinements to the Sisters TSP, is made up of Sisters residents and City staff, representatives of the bicycle/pedestrian interests, Oregon Department of Transportation, and Kittleson & Associates Transportation and Engineering/Planning firm.

At last week's meeting, the technical committee reviewed and discussed a conceptual layout for a Barclay Drive alignment between North Pine Street and Camp Polk Road that would increase drivability for trucks in and through the industrial park. The four curves on Barclay, three of which have smaller turning radii than ideal for 35-mile-per-hour traffic, would be realigned to the ideal 510-feet with minimum right-of-way acquisition required. There would be two 13-foot-wide travel lanes and the addition of a 14-foot turn lane in the center.

Disagreement surfaced regarding a proposed separate 10-foot bike/pedestrian path running parallel to Barclay. Pat Thompson, owner of Sisters Rental and former City Council member, raised the question, "Why would we direct bikes and pedestrians to where we're sending the trucks?"

The separate bike/pedestrian path could hold up the realignment process, while waiting for funds for a multiuse path. The path would require more right-of-way acquisition, meaning more cost.

Chuck Humphries, representing the bicycle interests, pointed out that if the City wants to encourage alternative modes of travel, then it is necessary to provide the path so employees who work in the industrial park could bike or walk to work.

Public Works Director Paul Bertagna clarified for the committee that sidewalks would be installed as part of the redevelopment along Barclay. As businesses go in, they pay for the installation of sidewalks along the front of their property.

One committee member raised the question of where would the separate path lead and how would it connect with existing bike routes already in use.

Bertagna asked for clarification about extending the proposed three lanes on Barclay past North Pine Street, all the way to the roundabout at Highway 20. It was agreed that extension made sense with the future development of the new U.S. Forest Service headquarters and possible development of the current Forest Service property when it

sells.

Kittleson presented four draft concept drawings for mini and single-lane roundabout options at US 20 and Locust. The mini roundabout could be completed in a relatively short time period and would have a small price tag of several hundred thousand dollars, as it would not require any right-of-way acquisition of

land.

The concept drawing for a large roundabout on the triangle of land between Highway 20/Highway 126 proposes direct access to Buckaroo Trail and the FivePine campus, with the eastern arm extending into the current Oregon State Parks and Recreation land between Highway 126 and Creekside Drive. This would be a much larger project, requiring millions of dollars, so the timeframe on this project extends a number of years into the future.