Traffic changes are coming to Newport’s Oceanview Drive, a popular city street that provides access to the Agate Beach Wayside and also serves as a bypass to a section of Highway 101.
The Newport City Council, at its regular meeting on April 15, approved a plan to implement a number of traffic control changes, including reducing speed limits and installing speed humps at several locations. A speed hump differs from a speed bump in that it is wider and flat along the top, which doesn’t require a vehicle to slow down quite as much as is necessary for a speed bump.
The firm of Kittelson & Associates was hired by the city to conduct a traffic operation and safety assessment along the Oceanview Drive corridor. Based on those findings, along with feedback from the Newport Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and concerned residents, six categories for changes were recommended to the council for approval, with other possible ideas put on hold until the initial changes can be implemented and evaluated.
The city council approved the following safety measures:
1) Remove vegetation within the right-of-way and/or on private property to improve line-of-sight along Oceanview Drive and to clear any existing traffic signs that are obstructed.
2) Reduce speed limits from Northwest Spring Street to Northwest 19th Court from 25 mph to 20 mph; continue current 25 mph speed limits from 19th Court to Edenview Way; reduce speed limits from 35 mph to 30 mph between Edenview Way and Highway 101.
3) Once new speed limits are in effect, install pre-fabricated speed humps at five locations with appropriate signage:
• The north side of the 15th Street intersection between 15th and 16th streets;
• The south side of the 15th Street intersection between 14th and 15th streets;
• Between the 19th Court and 20th Street;
• The north side of the pedestrian crossing on Oceanview Drive near the Agate Beach Wayside;
• The south side of the pedestrian crossing on Oceanview Drive near the Agate Beach Wayside.
4) Install pedestrian crossing warning signs on the north and south side of the existing pedestrian crossing on Oceanview Drive near the Agate Beach Wayside.
5) Install “No Parking” signs along Oceanview Drive on the east side and a portion of the west side where the shoulder narrows in width. Additionally, install signage on the east side of Oceanview Drive in the “No Parking” zone directing the public to the available parking lot to the north at the Agate Beach Wayside.
6) Provide delineators, pavement markings, directional signage, make existing “Do Not Enter” signs more visible, and provide maintenance on the existing pavement markings on Northwest 15th Street.
City Manager Spencer Nebel’s recommendation to the council was to approve these six improvement areas, “and then evaluate the effectiveness after the first 12 months of operation to determine whether any items in the plan should be modified, different or additional steps should be taken.”
The cost of implementing these changes is expected to be around $50,000.
Nebel admits these are significant changes to the Oceanview corridor, but he believes they will significantly address concerns that have been outlined by the residents along Oceanview Drive while keeping it as a key route for the city.
Council members also discussed the possibility of radar cameras along Oceanview to enforce speed limits, as well as the creation of a three-way stop at the intersection of Oceanview Drive and Northwest 15th Street. Ultimately, however, the council opted just to move forward with the first six steps, with the idea that more safety measures could be put in place in the future if they felt they were needed.
The council also informed Nebel that they would like to evaluate the changes sooner than 12 months after they are put in place. There was a consensus to readdress this issue between six and eight months after the changes are made.
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