Document text
Since You Asked: Black Oak speed determined by location in residential area Friday Oct 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM Black Oak Drive between Hillcrest Road and Siskiyou Boulevard is one of the main feeder streets to the Rogue Regional Medical Center area. It is one of the only main feeder roads that has not had curbs and sidewalks installed. The speed limit is 25 mph. Most main feeder streets have a 35-mph speed limit, even in residential areas. The white, photography speed-control van is a frequent visitor to that area at the north end of Black Oak where the road has a very steep, downhill grade. Most cars need to brake immediately to avoid exceeding the 25-mph speed limit. Why hasn’t that section of road been improved with curbs and sidewalks, and the speed limit increased to match that of other arterial roads? How much traffic fine revenue is generated from that stretch of road? — Gary S., Eagle Point Gary, although classified as a collector or distributor street, Black Oak Drive runs through residential areas, and for that reason, the speed limit is set at 25 mph. Furthermore, this section of the road doesn’t have sidewalks, is narrow and has a lot of trees that minimize the lighting, said Medford Public Works Director Cory Crebbin. “And it’s residential, making it difficult for people to get in and out of their driveways when people are going fast,” Crebbin said. Many collector streets citywide — for example, Springbrook Road north of Delta Waters Road — are also set at 25 mph because they run through residential areas. “If we increased the speed, it would save you single-digit seconds — not enough to make it more efficient, but it would make the street significantly less comfortable for residents and pedestrians,” Crebbin said. We’re not sure how much traffic fine revenue has been generated on that specific stretch of Black Oak. However, Medford police Sgt. Don Lane said there have been 79 citations issued on Black Oak between Hillcrest and Juanipero Way since January. Of those, 74 were from the speed radar van, and 69 were in the 100 block of Black Oak. “That is one of the roads that produces steady numbers as far as citations,” Lane said. Gary, we hope your Since You Asked question didn’t stem from your own citation. — Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.