ACHD's Road Wizard Sunday, December 30, 2018

These markings may be located on the driveway of a private business, but they still have to work together with the signals, signs and markings on the public roads. Otherwise, safety and/or intersection efficiency can be compromised.

Business driveways and markings are typically designed to national standards and are approved by ACHD when a property is developed. After that, the property owners maintain the markings. But in this case the property owner at the Fred Meyer changed the lane markings, and they did it without consulting with ACHD.

The lane-use arrows were changed, the crosswalk was removed, the painted stop line was moved, and a printed "stop" message was painted at the stop line.

ACHD has decided to remove the "stop" markings and is adding a lane control sign on the signal mast. This should make the intersection movements more clear while ACHD considers if the Fred Meyer changes may work better, or not, and Fred Meyer has agreed to replace the crosswalk.

1. In the March 11 column, "Steve L." again brought up the unauthorized diagonal parking along Hill Road at the small business plaza west of the "dogbone" roundabout. Vehicles were hanging over the bike lane, creating a safety hazard. ACHD made sure diagonal parking is now restricted.
2. On April 29, "Josh" reported that he almost hit a bicyclist who pulled out from a stop sign at River and 8th streets. He questioned the crosswalk-in-use lights activation button that is accessible to bicyclists. ACHD is looking into better ways to communicate how the button should be used by bicyclists.
3. Then on May 20, "Bruce" reported a literal curved-curb crash course on Five Mile Road. He was surprised when the curb, which separates the pedestrian shoulder from the road, cut across the shoulder at the intersection with Blackhawk Court in order to guide pedestrians to a sidewalk. ACHD decided to install some markings so bicyclists will have better advance notice of the curb.
4. In the June 3 column, an anonymous reader noticed that sidewalks on both sides of Bogus Basin Road were closed without detours. The contractor handling the sidewalk repair work was supposed to close just one side at a time, not side against pedestrians. An ACHD inspector gave the contractor a short deadline to open one of the sidewalks.
5. On June 17, another anonymous reader saw that a new digital speed indicator placed on Columbia Road by Micron stated that the speed limit was set to keep drivers at 35 mph in a 45 mph zone. The sign was placed in the wrong spot and was relocated.