Wal-Mart grants an extension to the approval process

Wal-Mart has granted an extension to the 120-day period in order to meet with the city on several traffic related issues.

The extension is for 14 days.

A decision is expected from the city on or before August 16th.

A analysis of traffic and the surrounding intersections showed that several areas need more improvement before Wal-Mart could be approved at the location.

Already the 182nd/Powell intersection is nearing capacity. With the Wal-Mart Supercenter added in, this could cause the intersection to fail. Some predictions also show the crash ratio at the intersection exceeding city of Gresham standards-- the ratio is already high for both 182nd/Powell and 174th/Powell.

And Wal-Mart's recommendation for a yield turn at 182nd/Powell is just plain ridiculous. Anyone who lives in Gresham knows how much trouble we already have with people running red lights to make a left turn. The last thing we need to do is to allow people to turn while oncoming traffic has the right-of-way. There's already been 15 accidents in the past 4 years involving people turning left. Imagine how much worse that will get if this was put into effect.

One recommenation in the report is adding in raised medians to stop the amount of left turns not at intersections. Doing this along Highland will mean people will no longer be able to make a left turn into McDonalds, a left turn out of McDonalds, a left turn into Shari's, or a left turn out of Safeway/Shari's. Their only choice will be to come out at the 11th Street/Highland intersection.

Already you can sit through several lights when coming NB on Highland and trying to make a left onto Highland. This will only get worse.

Add in a Wal-Mart and it will become virtually impossible to make a left at that intersection, no matter which way you're going. Even with a protected turn, you're likely to end up stuck because Highland is backed up.

I know I run into a lot of trouble when I try to get to the gas station or Safeway.

One area I never saw a mention of is 14th Street. Making a left onto 14th Street is already dangerous. Even if you move right up against the center line, you're almost hit by cars flying around you while you await the ability to turn.

Many people in the area between Powell Loop and where Powell/Highland meet use 14th Street as a means to cut over to Highland and the various shops already located there (and therefore avoid 182nd/Powell).

I don't know how many near misses I've seen with myself, as well as other vehicles, at that street.

None of this includes the additional traffic that will come through the area once the Pleasant Valley plans are completed.

From the report--

There are several issues that require further mitigation, study and attention to fully meet the impacts identified herein. These include the following:

1. The proposed design for the Duniway Avenue intersection at Powell Boulevard forces the planned pedestrian connection to the retail center about 500 feet to the east to the proposed new signal at West Powell Loop. For most pedestrians, this will be unacceptable, and they will cross at Duniway illegally and unsafely. A better solution is required.

2. The SW Pleasant View Drive at SE 23rd Street intersection is adversely impacted by project added traffic, and no mitigation is proposed. The project is expected to add volume to the side street turning movements that are most delays. The side street volumes are likely too low to support construction of a traffic signal, but other solutions are needed there to resolve the impacts. If none can be provided, then this would be a basis for denying the application.

3. The proposed traffic signal at West Powell Loop and Powell Boulevard should be coordinated with the 182nd Avenue intersection, and time-of-day coordination plans developed consistent with the city’s Traffic Engineer requirements.

4. Similarly, signal coordination is essential between Powell Boulevard and 11th Street on Highland Drive. Queue analysis showed that these two signal operate near capacity, in terms of vehicles queue between them, so coordination is vital to achieve optimal circulation conditions. It should be noted that even with these improvements, vehicle queue spillbacks will occur in the short-term, and may become more chronic with long-term traffic volume growth.

5. The Powell Boulevard / 182nd Avenue intersection was found to operate at unacceptable conditions as measures by v/c ratio and LOS with Total Traffic volumes. No mitigation was recommended in the applicant’s report. Further mitigation measures are required to provide adequate public facilities at this location.

6. The proposed traffic signal at Butler Road should include construction of a southbound left-turn pocket, so that turning vehicles can safely wait for gaps in traffic out of the through lanes. This is consistent with the long-term plan for this location. Furthermore, the traffic signal poles and equipment should be located to serve the long-term five-lane cross-section outlined in the Pleasant Valley Concept Plan.

7. Finally, the eastbound approach of 11th Street will have a difficult time turning onto Highland Drive during peak hour, primarily because of the high turning volume leaving the proposed Wal-Mart site. The existing permissive left-turn phasing cannot provide sufficient gaps in traffic with the Total Traffic conditions. An alternative solutions should be presented by the applicant.

Click here for the full report.