Comments on Cornelius Pass Road JTA Final Report
By Bruce Penney
May 3, 2013
Multnomah County is planning a $9.5 million project for Cornelius Pass Road improvements. State funding for the project came after community outcry over traffic fatalities, major truck accidents, and frequent road closures. The county studied accident data, applied a weighted dollar value to each crash, and prioritized benefits/cost ratios. At a meeting last month, the county presented a list the options they deem economically viable. These options include a $3.75 million roundabout at Skyline Boulevard, a $1.82 million intersection at Sheltered Nook, and $1.3 million for the Kaiser curve.
The county’s final JTA report is at http://web.multco.us/sites/default/files/roads/documents/cornelius_passfinal_2012report.pdf and the state has the full report with all appendices available at http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION1/Pages/cpass_jta_safetyeval/index.aspx.
Some neighbors question the county’s analysis and note that a roundabout at Skyline would leave no money for other, perhaps more significant, accident areas. The tunnel curve near milepost 3 would not even get the shoulder widened. Most of the road between Columbia and 8th avenue would remain as-is, except for tearing out a neighbor’s yard at 8th Avenue to improve visibility. The curves near milepost 0.5, where one teen died, would also have no changes.
Part of the reason the county lost focus on fatalities and major accidents might be that their raw accident data had ambiguities and errors. Accidents that happened within a mile or so of Skyline might have been erroneously attributed to the intersection itself. The county also considered expensive options, like a $25 million aerial structure over the tunnel, without comparing simpler, perhaps more cost-effective, approaches.
To keep road improvement funds focused on the most significant problems, we need to understand where the high-profile accidents actually occur. The map I prepared takes a simple approach. It uses photographs from fatality accidents and major truck accidents to pinpoint the most dangerous “red zones” on Cornelius Pass Road. Consistent with county data, this map includes only accidents since 2003. Unlike the county’s analysis, this map does not include minor fender-benders. This map also intentionally omits one atypical fatality accident. In this unusual accident, the driver was going so fast (some reports say 100 MPH) that a passenger was hanging up in a tree. Indeed, police said the same driver had just been speeding nearby. Such blatantly negligent driving should not dictate road design criteria.
Accidents highlighted on the attached map include:
If you know of other fatality accidents or major road-closing truck accidents from the past ten years (especially if you have photographs) please email comments and suggestions on this map to [email protected].
May 3, 2013
Multnomah County is planning a $9.5 million project for Cornelius Pass Road improvements. State funding for the project came after community outcry over traffic fatalities, major truck accidents, and frequent road closures. The county studied accident data, applied a weighted dollar value to each crash, and prioritized benefits/cost ratios. At a meeting last month, the county presented a list the options they deem economically viable. These options include a $3.75 million roundabout at Skyline Boulevard, a $1.82 million intersection at Sheltered Nook, and $1.3 million for the Kaiser curve.
The county’s final JTA report is at http://web.multco.us/sites/default/files/roads/documents/cornelius_passfinal_2012report.pdf and the state has the full report with all appendices available at http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION1/Pages/cpass_jta_safetyeval/index.aspx.
Some neighbors question the county’s analysis and note that a roundabout at Skyline would leave no money for other, perhaps more significant, accident areas. The tunnel curve near milepost 3 would not even get the shoulder widened. Most of the road between Columbia and 8th avenue would remain as-is, except for tearing out a neighbor’s yard at 8th Avenue to improve visibility. The curves near milepost 0.5, where one teen died, would also have no changes.
Part of the reason the county lost focus on fatalities and major accidents might be that their raw accident data had ambiguities and errors. Accidents that happened within a mile or so of Skyline might have been erroneously attributed to the intersection itself. The county also considered expensive options, like a $25 million aerial structure over the tunnel, without comparing simpler, perhaps more cost-effective, approaches.
To keep road improvement funds focused on the most significant problems, we need to understand where the high-profile accidents actually occur. The map I prepared takes a simple approach. It uses photographs from fatality accidents and major truck accidents to pinpoint the most dangerous “red zones” on Cornelius Pass Road. Consistent with county data, this map includes only accidents since 2003. Unlike the county’s analysis, this map does not include minor fender-benders. This map also intentionally omits one atypical fatality accident. In this unusual accident, the driver was going so fast (some reports say 100 MPH) that a passenger was hanging up in a tree. Indeed, police said the same driver had just been speeding nearby. Such blatantly negligent driving should not dictate road design criteria.
Accidents highlighted on the attached map include:
- 2008 death of Lonny Friberg near milepost 0
- 2007 death of Taija Belwood on curve near milepost 0.5
- 2011 road closure over 12 hours for a wood-chip truck rollover on curve near milepost 1.0
- 2012 road closure due to truck rollover on curve near milepost 1.5
- 2012 head-on crash between milepost 1.5 and 2.0
- 2013 road closure due to log truck rollover on curve near milepost 2.0
- 2011 road closure due to truck rollover north of tunnel milepost 3.0
- 2010 road closure due to chemical spill at tunnel milepost 3.0
If you know of other fatality accidents or major road-closing truck accidents from the past ten years (especially if you have photographs) please email comments and suggestions on this map to [email protected].