Walnut Boulevard / Glenridge / Witham Hill Intersection Safety and Operations Review

August UPDATE

Graphics of the planned striping changes can be found here.

What is this effort?

During 2023 and into early 2024 the City was assisted by an engineering consultant in reviewing traffic operations, existing conditions, and safety performance at the Walnut Boulevard / Glenridge / Witham Hill intersection and traffic signal. This included taking traffic volume counts, making on-site field visits, observing behaviors of people using the intersection, and examining crash records. The engineering consultant created a set of suggested changes or improvements for traffic operations and safety and provided them to the City to consider for implementation over time. The safety evaluation provided by the engineering consultant can be found here.

Why this intersection?

Walnut Boulevard is one of the wider and busier streets within Corvallis that is under direct control of the City. This intersection has unique characteristics including proximity to a transition to a higher speed zone, multiple hillsides, is located on roadway curves, and is within walking distance of a school and community park. While the City has plans to examine conditions on the longer Walnut corridor and citywide transportation safety trends in the coming years, a more immediate review of this intersection was desired in the meantime.

What about other intersections?

The City has budgeted to hire an engineering consultant to develop a signal investment plan. The consultant will evaluate existing signalized intersection hardware, identify deficiencies, and develop a plan to prioritize upgrades. The plan will help guide the City to budget and schedule signal upgrades.

How or when will the suggested changes from the evaluation be implemented?

Some low cost, easier to implement items have already occurred over the past year such as a leading pedestrian interval or head start at the traffic signal crosswalks and some vegetation trimming. City staff is currently examining available budget, staff time, and competing priorities in order to request additional funds in the proposed City budget for fiscal year 2024-2025 for opportunities to implement additional changes with a focus on those that are most cost effective and can completed in the near term (late 2024 through early 2025).  Many items such as pavement markings and electronics are dependent on dry weather, higher temperatures, and subject to longer lead times for delivery.

What changes will be implemented?

This list is subject to change but the City intends to implement the following items at this location over time as budget allows. Additional detail for each improvement can be found in the Safety Evaluation memo linked at the bottom of this page.

• Traffic signal upgrades
  • 3-section left-turn arrow signal heads
  • Supplemental eastbound signal head
  • 12-inch signal heads
  • Signal head visibility upgrades
  • Signal head lateral realignment
  • Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) push buttons (audible)
  • Countdown pedestrian signals
  • Permitted left turn phasing elimination during pedestrian phases
  • Traffic signal controller upgrade
  • No right-turn-on-red signage for specific movement(s)
  • Yield to pedestrians signage
• Visibility
  • Vegetation removal/trimming
  • Intersection lighting
  • Intersection striping
• Speed
  • Radar speed feedback sign(s)

How would any implemented changes be funded?

Work at this location would be supported by the City’s Street Fund which is primarily funded by State Highway Fund (state gas tax) that is restricted to transportation-related purposes by law.

What about the surrounding area such as Walnut Boulevard?

The City still plans to examine citywide transportation safety trends within the next several years with the support of a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant recently received. More information will be shared here about this effort as it becomes available and the work is scheduled.

What about the speed limit on Walnut Boulevard?

Speed limits in Oregon are highly regulated by State law and administrative rules and require engineering investigations to support any changes. The primary factor that governs the setting of speed limits is the current speed at which street users are traveling. Repeated speed data collection along Walnut in recent years shows that an engineering investigation following Oregon laws and rules is unlikely to result in a lowered speed limit and could even result in it being raised. The most appropriate time to conduct an engineering investigation and seek a reduction in the speed limit would be in the future when changes are being, or have been, made to the street that could result in lower driving speeds.

What about the lane merge at the intersection?

During 2023 the City was assisted by an engineering consultant in reviewing the traffic operations of the intersection and performance of the westbound merge at this location. This evaluation resulted in a finding that one of the two westbound lanes approaching the intersection could be merged further in advance or converted into a right-turn-only lane. The City intends to move forward with these improvements through installation of signs and pavement markings. You can learn more about the merge lane evaluation here.

How do I report another concern not covered here?

The most effective way to report concerns or requests to the City is through the online Report A Problem system at http://www.corvallisoregon.gov/report Staff will investigate and determine if there is an issue that needs to be addressed, and if so, how it compares with competing priorities, and whether there is staffing and budget capacity to address it. Examples of more easy-to-implement improvements include lower cost signs and pavement markings, when and where appropriate. In contrast, if the request would result in the installation of substantial new features or could result in a larger project, the City does not typically have un-budgeted funding readily available. These types of efforts are subject to the City’s annual public budgeting process and Council approval. You can learn more about the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) here.