Speed Zones Through Sunnyside

As for speed limits on SE Hawthorne, it was reduced from 30 mph to 25 mph months ago.  Current speed limits on SE Belmont and SE Stark, no changes — remains posted at 30 mph.  Finally, on SE Willow between SE 60th and the I-84 freeway entrance, the 25 speed limit is strictly radar enforced.  Know that high volumes of commuter hour traffic speeding to enter the freeway was troublesome for residents living on SE Willow.

Report by Matthew Machado.  This request was to reduce the speed limit on SE Cesar Chavez Blvd (39th Ave) between SE Division St and SE Woodstock Blvd from 35 mph to 30 mph to be consistent with the segments north and south of the requested location.

SE Cesar Chavez Blvd (39th Ave) was classified as a Major City Traffic Street north of SE Holgate Blvd.  South of Holgate, Cesar Chavez was classified as a neighborhood collector.  Per Speed Zone Order 1399D dated June 1, 1998, the posted speed limit on SE 39th Ave was 30 mph from NE Sandy Blvd to SE Division St, 35 mph from SE Division St to SE Woodstock Blvd, and 30 mph from SE Woodstock Blvd to SE Crystal Springs Blvd.  Between Division and Holgate, the roadway was 42 feet wide with two travel lanes in each direction except at the Division, Powell, and Holgate intersections, where the roadway widened to accommodate left-turn lanes.  No parking was allowed on either side of the street.  South of Holgate, the roadway narrowed to 36 feet with a travel lane and parking lane in each direction.  The land use was a mix of residential, small commercial, and large commercial, with most of the larger commercial sites concentrated near SE Powell Blvd.  A number of residential and commercial driveways existed along Cesar Chavez, and it could be difficult to exit those driveways due to the volume and speeds of traffic present on the roadway.

Speed and volume data were collected on 39th in 2002.  Recorded volumes at SE Harold St were approximately 6200 vehicles northbound and 6500 vehicles southbound.  At SE Raymond St, recorded volumes were approximately 6500 vehicles northbound and 6700 vehicles southbound.  At SE Harold St, the recorded 85th percentile speeds were 38 mph northbound and 37 mph southbound.  At SE Raymond St, the recorded 85th percentile speeds were 36 mph northbound and 35 mph southbound.

There were no significant differences in the physical roadway, traffic conditions or adjacent land uses between the 35 mph and the 30 mph segments. Based on the above, the recommendation for SE Cesar Chavez Blvd (39th Ave) was to send a Speed Zone Request to ODOT with a recommendation to reduce the speed limit from 35 mph to 30 mph between SE Division St and SE Woodstock Blvd. That would result in a consistent 30 mph posted limit from NE Sandy Blvd to SE Crystal Springs Blvd along NE/SE Cesar Chavez Blvd (39th Ave).

Eileen Dent
Traffic Investigations
1120 SW 5th Avenue # 800
Portland OR  97204
(503) 823-7687
[email protected]