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Congestion to worsen before it gets better By Jessica Smith Opening southeast Medford to growth and generating funds for one of the valley�s biggest road projects � those are the reasons a regional transportation group voted to relax traffic congestion standards at the Barnett Road freeway interchange. With a 5-1 vote Wednesday, the Rogue Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) agreed to forward the new rules to the state for approval. If OK�d by the Oregon Transportation Commission on Dec. 13, the new guidelines would ease state restrictions on development in southeast Medford. Some who attended the public hearing on the new congestion standards, including MPO member Carol Bennett, who voted against changing the rules, said they worry about the consequences of the updated guidelines. "There�s nothing there that will keep Medford from ... opening the floodgates to more development," warned resident Glen Anderson. Currently, those floodgates are locked by state traffic capacity standards, which govern the south Medford interchange. The interchange regularly violates state capacity guidelines during peak hours, when cars must wait longer to travel through the Barnett intersections. In recent years, gridlock at the interchange thwarted developments expected to funnel rush-hour traffic through the interchange. The MPO wants the state to adjust its capacity standards to reflect the gridlock already experienced at the interchange. The new standard, which would permit gridlock up to four hours a day, also would apply to the sometimes congested intersection at Highway 99 and Stewart Avenue. Anderson urged MPO members to restrict development in southeast Medford to "smart growth" that encourages residents to walk, ride a bike or use mass transit to get around town. MPO members, however, said city leaders will develop their own criteria to approve future growth. The Medford City Council is scheduled to address the MPO recommendations at its Monday meeting. Yvonne Road resident Pat Clason, who drives Barnett Road regularly, said he worried that changing the capacity rules would benefit developers at the expense of local residents. "To me, this is great for the developers but it�s not great for anybody else at all," Clason said. But supporters of the relaxed capacity standards said the new rules will be good for the whole city, not just developers who plan to build houses in the area. Permitting growth in south Medford will ensure the city is able to raise the money it needs to fund the planned overhaul of the Barnett interchange, said Councilman and MPO chairman Skip Knight. Fixing the interchange is the state�s long-term solution to traffic congestion on Barnett. The city and state have each agreed to pay $15 million toward a long-term solution to congestion problems at the interchange. Tentative plans are to move the freeway interchange farther south, turning Barnett Road over to local traffic. Although it could be five to 10 years before the state identifies funding for its half of the project, the city expects to pay its share through street fees charged to new development. "(Relaxing the state standards) will enable us to have the funding sooner rather than later. And we need the fix sooner rather than later," Knight said. Allowing for growth in southeast Medford also would prevent sprawl in more rural areas, another state goal, transportation officials said. To keep motorists from traveling long distances to get to work, shopping centers, medical offices and other services in Medford, the state is encouraging development closer to the city�s urban core. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.