Agenda Item - 2023-03-16 - Number l - Draft Meeting Minutes
CITY OF LAKE OSWEGO
Transportation Advisory Board Action Minutes
January 19, 2023
Call to order: 7:03 PM
Attendance:
Members present: Chair Bill Jaursch; Vice Chair Amin Wahab; Theresa Bianco;
Kasey Adler (attended remotely); Trevor Sleeman; and Stephen
Cohen
Members Absent/Excused: Drew Hagedorn; and Peter Cory, Youth Member
Council Liaison Present: John Wendland, City Council Liaison
Guest(s): Doug MacDougall; Rick Cook; Derek Abe; and Philip
Longenecker (the latter two being with Alta Planning & Design)
Staff: Will Farley, City Traffic Engineer; Erica Rooney, City Engineer;
Sgt. Jay Weitman; Sgt. Earl Hall; and Chris Fairley,
Administrative Support
Consent Agenda
• November 29, 2022 Meeting Minutes
o Mr. Adler moved to approve the Minutes of November 29, 2022, as submitted.
Seconded by Mr. Cohen and passed unanimously.
Council Report
• Councilor Wendland shared details on the following recent City Council activities: a group is
being formed to research options for a possible expansion of the library; the contract for LORAC
was approved and the building process has begun; the current pickleball courts were closed 2
days prior and may be moved to Westlake Park, near the tennis courts (this was a 4:3 decision);
and the 2023 City Council Goals Planning Session will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2023.
o Ms. Bianco asked Mr. Wendland to touch on the funding options available to cover the
LORAC bid that was chosen (all received came in over-budget). Mr. Wendland replied
that he was unable to give a definitive answer at this time, as there were various issues
being addressed (there being different funds that the monies could be pulled from). He
added that it was not unusual to receive over-estimated bids now because of inflation,
higher interest rates, and the uncertainty of the marketplace. He informed members
that part of the funding offset will come from pausing the Rassekh Skate Park project.
Public Comment:
• John MacDougall, 119 Oswego Summit, Lake Oswego, OR 97035, reported that he had seen an
influx of drivers going through each of the 3 stop signs at his intersection (Oswego
Summit/McNary Parkway/Jefferson Parkway); adding that he and his children, his neighbors,
and his parents had been nearly hit while crossing the intersection. He voiced his concerns over
pedestrian safety in the area; asking if there was anything TAB could look into to make it safer.
o Chair Jaursch asked for Mr. Farley's comments/thoughts. Mr. Farley indicated that he
was looking to add advance signage for the stop signs; explaining that they were
researching the potential cause for the vehicle/pedestrian conflicts at those
intersections and that he had contacted the Lake Oswego Police Department (LOPD) to
help with increased enforcement for a period of time. Mr. MacDougall relayed that it
seemed, to him, to be repeat, local-resident offenders, on their way to work (7:20am-
7:50am). Sgt. Hall asked Mr. MacDougall to call the LOPD non-emergency line on
Monday and he would call back to set up focused patrols.
Staff Reports
1. LO Police Department Report (presented by Sgt. Hall)
• Sgt. Weitman introduced Sgt. Hall, who listed the totals for the 2022 YTD Summary
report as follows: 5,199 Total Citations (Speed=1413; Electronic Device/Cell Use=605;
FTO Traffic Control Device=331; Expired Registration/Related=270; Driving
Uninsured=256; and Driving While Suspended=212); 94 DUII Arrests
(Alcohol=87/Drugs=7); 279 Crashes (Non-injury=137; Hit & Run=105; Injury=29 with zero
fatalities; and Auto/Pedestrian=8 (2 since September)); and Streets With the Most
Crashes: A Avenue, Kruse Way, Boones Ferry Road, Country Club Road, and State
Street/Hwy 43. 2021 YTD Summary Comparison: 3,288 Total Citations (Speed=1,269;
Electronic Device/Cell Use=716; FTO Traffic Control Device=247; Expired
Registration/Related=66; Driving Uninsured=241; and Driving While Suspended=222); 63
DUII Arrests (Alcohol=59/Drugs=4); 237 Crashes (Non-injury=119; Hit & Run=83;
Injury=27 with zero fatalities; and Auto/Pedestrian=8); and Streets With the Most
Crashes: State Street/Hwy 43, Kruse Way, A Avenue, Boones Ferry Road, and Kerr
Parkway.
• They will post for another motorcycle officer position on February 1, 2023.
o Chair Jaursch asked for their thoughts regarding the increase in crashes over
2021. Sgt. Weitman replied that it was a combination of driving impaired,
speeding, and driving distracted; however, he was struck more by the increase
in DUII arrests.
o In response to Mr. Cohen's question, Sgt. Hall replied that they often issued the
3 correlating citations in one stop (expired registration/uninsured/suspended);
adding that the increase seen with expired registrations stemmed from the lift
of the mandate to suspend the issuance of those citations (from the beginning
of the COVID-19 pandemic).
o Vice Chair Wahab asked if the non-injury and hit & run categories were
combined or separate. Sgt. Hall stated that they were separate categories;
opining that the increase was due to there being more drivers on the road. Sgt.
Weitman added that hit & runs were separated out because they normally were
unable to complete the investigation (having only one party to speak to).
o Mr. Sleeman requested an explanation between the number of stops versus the
number of citations issued. Sgt. Weitman responded that many were "fix-it"
tickets or warnings; noting that the officers used their discretion on matters
were education was preferred over issuing a citation. Sgt. Hall stated that he
believed there may be errors in the top numbers and would recalculate them.
o Chair Jaursch inquired whether they had seen any patterns of Portland drivers
not expecting citations if driving in Lake Oswego (given recent news reports
regarding traffic enforcement in Portland/Multnomah County). Sgt. Hall relayed
that the motorists' comments received indicated that they understood that
traffic laws would be enforced in Lake Oswego but was unable to speak to
enforcement in Portland. Sgt. Weitman stated that he had seen more egregious
speed infractions on the outskirts of Lake Oswego.
o Vice Chair Wahab asked if they kept statistics for auto break-ins/vandalism. Sgt.
Hall replied that he did not pull those numbers for this meeting but could say
there was a comparable increase in that category.
o Mr. Cohen requested an update on the catalytic converter program. Sgt. Hall
indicated that Tony Spurling would be leading that effort on Saturday, February
4, 2023, from 10:00am to 2:00pm; explaining that officers would in-grade the
license plate number on the converter and spray it with a sealing, heat-resistant
paint (hoping to deter auto thieves).
2. McVey/Stafford Corridor Vision Study (presented by Mr. Abe & Ms. Longenecker)
• Project Overview: Aims to identify potential street improvements to increase efficiency
and safety (a timeline slide was shown).
• Existing Conditions: The corridor is a critical connector, used by many types of travelers
for different purposes and along a range of frontages and land use contexts; The
corridor is designated as a Minor Arterial; Roadway width is a constraint for most of the
corridor (steep slopes and environmentally sensitive areas compound the issues);
Passenger vehicle use is the primary mode; The pedestrian, bicycle, and transit
infrastructure is inconsistent, with few alternatives existing; Skewed intersections (i.e.,
Oak Street/McVey Avenue) may create challenges for active transportation users and
drivers alike; Crossing and turning movements at Cornell Street/McVey Avenue are
challenging; Future developments include Rassekh Park and LORAC; and There is an
existing multi-use path, connecting residential areas to Lakeridge High School/recreation
areas.
• Public Input: Over 325 comments and likes received; McVey Avenue is a major barrier
for people to cross it to get to George Rogers and Freepons Park and to Hallinan
Elementary School; Turning left or right onto McVey Avenue and turning right onto
South Shore from McVey Avenue is a major source of concern (poor sightlines also make
it even more challenging for people walking and biking); There is a desire for pedestrian
and biking options on both sides of the road (sidewalks and safe bicycle facilities);
Speeding is a major concern, as is vegetation clearance; and Crossing Stafford Road is a
concern for pedestrians, especially students walking to and from the high school.
• Alternatives Development: Alta is currently developing design concepts based on public
input, constraints, and opportunities highlighted in the existing conditions analysis; The
next open house will feature the design alternatives (in March 2023); and There will be
an alternatives discussion with TAB in the spring.
• TAB’s Questions:
o Chair Jaursch asked if projected traffic will be considered in the alternatives.
Mr. Abe affirmed; adding that they were also looking at the projected
population growth.
o Vice Chair Wahab inquired whether acquisition of properties may be considered
in the areas with greater constrained widths. Mr. Abe responded that that
would be the last resort in any project and that they were confident they would
be able to design alternatives without needing to acquire any properties;
however, if they hear something different in the next open house, they will
consider that option. Vice Chair Wahab then asked if there was the potential to
work with ODOT to obtain funding to improve the intersection with Hwy 43.
Mr. Abe indicated that they anticipated that this area would be one of the
biggest "pinch points" to avoid traffic congestion; agreeing that they would
need to work with ODOT on this. Mr. Farley added that the City would be
looking at projects that could be done to open up the corridor; explaining that it
would be difficult to obtain funding from ODOT for a such a project at the
intersection with Hwy 43.
o Answering Mr. Cook’s question (from the Zoom chat), Mr. Farley relayed that
the City had not yet had a discussion with Clackamas County about the newest
traffic study but would be discussing other topics regarding the area with the
County soon.
3. Miscellaneous
• Mr. Sleeman requested an update on the Phase I Pathways projects. Mr. Farley
responded that they were moving forward with design (getting it to the final 90% and
100% design) on Boca Ratan Drive; getting them to construction the next summer (with
the others following shortly after) and with completion by the end of the next budget
cycle.
• Chair Jaursch requested that staff provide an answer to the email comment received
regarding Country Club Road. Mr. Farley affirmed that he would look into it (speed
being the greatest concern per Vice Chair Wahab).
• Mr. Cohen asked what other topics would be included in the March meeting. Mr. Farley
indicated that the McVey/Stafford Corridor project was the major topic, with an update
to the Pathways projects; adding that the newest budget cycle would be discussed in
May.
• Vice Chair Wahab voiced concerns about the reduced Tri-Met services (discussed
originally in November). Mr. Farley stated that he had not heard of any updates since
the last report.
The next regular meeting date is March 16, 2023.
Adjournment: 8:20 PM - Mr. Sleeman moved to Adjourn. Seconded by Mr. Cohen and passed
unanimously.