Cut-through traffic solutions for Saltzman vicinity
By Elaine Ledbetter, Office Manager, Christ United Methodist Church

[Editor’s note: Elaine served with other neighbors on a committee to come up with some responses to the traffic that cuts through neighborhoods between 119th and Saltzman, and between Saltzman and Murray. Neighbors have long been concerned with traffic noise and safety issues related to people using these alternate routes through the neighborhood. 78% of the affected residents voted to aprove the change, so Lovejoy and Filbert will soon have “right-in, right-out” restricted access. This alternative, proposed and supported by the neighborhood, will mean that vehicles will not be able to turn left/northbound from Filbert and Lovejoy onto Saltzman.]

I have found that one way to get to know your neighbors is to sit on planning committees with them. I have been fortunate to be on the Citizen Advisory Committee for the Cedar Mill Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan that has just finished its work.

NO LEFT TURN: An arrow and the word "ONLY" will be painted on the pavement and a no left turn symbol sign will be installed under the existing stop sign.  Advance warning signs may be added later if needed

You will be seeing the results of that work in traffic pattern changes west of Saltzman in the near future where there will be turning restrictions on Lovejoy and Filbert to reduce cut-through traffic problems. On the east side of Saltzman the neighbors continue to look at speed concerns on Kearney and Marshall, changes are expected to occur in a year or so.

As the committee worked through various options and considered the results of polling of preferences at the last Open House for this project, I (as the representative of Christ United Methodist Church as well as the neighborhood in general) came to see that the changes that will be taking place would impact Christ UMC in some negative ways. Because of the time I spent in meetings with the County staff and neighbors involved in solving the problems of cut through traffic I was able to have options and contacts so I could work with the church’s committees to find the best option for us.

As often happens when problem-solving, there are no perfect solutions to the problem. This is such a case. The Trustees of the church have decided to put a gate across the church property at the south end of NW 128th. This will result in all of our traffic entering and exiting off Dogwood St. This means I, along with many others, will need to go through the Saltzman/Cornell intersection instead of entering off Filbert and 128th. We hope only to restrict vehicular traffic. We will leave access through the church property for those walking, cycling, or in wheelchairs. This should happen within the next couple of months.

The experience of being on a citizen committee has given me the chance to work with neighbors of varying viewpoints and frustration levels (issues impact some folks more than others and in different ways) and with our County staff from various agencies. I have also seen options I would never have thought of offered and accepted.

I now have a better understanding of the working constraints—budget, project scope, ordinances, codes, and time. I hope to continue to use this expanded base of experience and information in the future. This project took about 30 hours of my time over a 15-month period. It is an easy way to have a positive impact on the way our neighborhood looks and functions.

NEWS HOME