Southwest Bend Neighborhood Association
Traffic Hot Spots 6/6/2005
Here's a list of Traffic Concern areas as submitted by SBNA members. Thanks for taking the time and effort to stay involved.
Larkwood Drive off of Brookswood
The first part of Larkwood Drive as it comes off of Brookswood and runs to Hollygrape has become not only a defacto collector with now very heavy traffic from Quail Pines, Pheasant Run, and Pine Ridge Elementary, but much of this traffic significantly exceeds the speed limit. This speedway is particularly dangerous as many elementary school kids walk this route to the school (a portion is a recently signed school zone) and as many of the homeowners, including myself, along this stretch have young children that play outside or ride their bikes along this road.
A partial solution might be a 4-way stop instead of the current 2-way stop at the intersection of Larkwood and Hollygrape. I have suggested this to city engineering only to be put off. Another solution might be speed bumps. There will be resistance to this because this road, while technically a small neighborhood road and ideal for speed bumps, has become a defacto collector and is a route for school buses and emergency services. However, there are plenty of examples of speed bumps that have been put in recently in the immediate area for the same reasons, such as Pinebrook or Porcupine.
This is a time-sensitive issue as the utility work on Larkwood is finishing and the road may soon be resurfaced.
-Nathan R. Hovekamp
Ponderosa off of 97
I live on the corner of Ponderosa and Park Vista and often walk east on Ponderosa to get to the Sunriver Prep property to walk my dogs. Cars that have come off Hwy 97 come zooming through that S curve before they even get to Emigrant, the first intersection as they head west. And they don't slow down from there, even though the sign before they pass any houses says 25 mph. Often I'm on a curve with my dogs on leash and a car heading straight for us on one of those curves. I look for a place to run, just in case.
-Lee August
Ponderosa onto 97
Just restating the obvious on this extremely dangerous intersection.Poor visibility combined with a large volume of traffic going at a high rate of speed make this intersection unusable for many motorists.
-Matt Ryan
Ponderosa / Lodgepole from 97 to Mahogany
There are no lines on Ponderosa as it turns into Lodgepole down to Mahogany that indicate auto / bike / pedestrian lanes. The lack of sidewalks adds to the dangerous circumstances on this busy street. Just take a drive down it and you’ll see why, but try not to hit any of runners, bikers, children, and dog walkers that you’ll surely encounter. I would like to see similar sidewalks found on Lodgepole to continue on to 97.
-Matt Ryan
S curves on Brookswood
Speeding… Trouble getting onto Brookswood due to volume of traffic.
-Harold Robertson
Brookswood near Elk Horn Estates
I, and my neighbors, would like to addBrookswood and Powers to the urgent list. One is taking their chances to try to turn onto Brookswood from Powers in either direction; we who live in, or above, Elkhorn Estates and go to work ... have no choice. We were promised, when the Parkway plans were in their infancy, a round-a-bout at that intersection - which would slow traffic and give cars from all directions a chance to enter the traffic flow without fear. A light has been discussed recently, but a light would give start and stop noise and pollution and create livability problems for the nearby homes - and would really take away from the "neighborhood" feel. The problem is morning & evening "rush hour" - there is little need for control at other times.
The other intersection with a problem is Brookswood and Cliff Rose. Ever since the city remarked the bike lane (going south on Brookswood) and made it too narrow to pull over for a turn ... it has been awful; anyone headed south who stops to turn right onto Cliff Rose now risks being rear-ended by cars & trucks going 40+ mph. Headed north it's every bit as dangerous for those stopping to make a left turn onto Cliff Rose, it's right in the middle of an unmarked (the city removed the sign) curve.
-Gladys Labsch
Matt, I'm a resident of Elkhorn Estates. One dangerous corner I've repeatedly noticed is pulling out onto Brookswood from Powers Rd., heading east. Whether you're turning South, North, or crossing Brookswood going east I feel like I jeopardize my life each time! The Brookswood traffic moves very fast and is getting heavier all the time. Is there a plan to place a signal here? It's also dangerous, but a little less so, pulling out onto Brookswood from Rock Bluff Lanealso. Thanks for taking my input.
- Ann Moeller
