HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

 

 

March 09, 2005   Hearing Room C

6:30 P.M.  Tapes 23 - 24

Corrected 10/17/05

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:            Rep. George Gilman, Chair

Rep. Terry Beyer, Vice-Chair

Rep. Chuck Burley, Vice-Chair

Rep. Deborah Boone

Rep. Scott Bruun

Rep. Dave Hunt

 

MEMBER EXCUSED:            Rep. Kim Thatcher

 

MEMBER VISITING:                  Rep. Vicki Berger

 

STAFF PRESENT:                  John Houser, Committee Administrator

Mike Reiley, Committee Assistant

 

MEASURES/ISSUES HEARD:

                                                HB 2365 – Public Hearing

                                                HB 2481 – Public Hearing

                                                HB 2840 – Public Hearing

 

 

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 23, A
003	Chair Gilman	Calls the meeting to order at 6:29 p.m. Opens a public hearing on HB 2365, HB 2481 & HB 2840.
HB 2365, 2481 & 2840 – PUBLIC HEARING
008	John Houser	Committee Administrator. Introduces HB 2365, HB 2481 and HB 2840.
027	Rep. Dennis Richardson	House District 4. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in support of HB 2840 (EXHIBIT A). Explains that HB 2840 would enact a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 7 days a week (“7-7-7”) school speed zone.
080	Rep. Berger	Asks if the authority exists for Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to put up flashing lights.
095	Troy Costales	Manager, Transportation Safety Division, ODOT. Explains that there are two school zones: adjacent roads to schools and non-adjacent roads to schools. Notes that HB 2840 does not change non-adjacent road speeds.
114	Rep. Berger	Explains that her intent is to re-establish the previous school speed zones.
124	Rep. Arnie Roblan	House District 9. Explains support for the changes set forth in HB 2365 and the opposition toward the all day, every day twenty-mile-per-hour zone.
181	Rep. Hunt	Asks what the school zone hours should be.
191	Rep. Roblan	Explains that some elementary schools become parks and are used by children at different hours and on weekends.  Notes that high schools have events that go to 10 p.m. on many nights of the week and weekends.
232	Norman West	Submits and reads prepared testimony regarding HB 2365, 2481, 2840 (EXHIBIT B).
331	Chair Gilman	Explains that the reason for passing the legislation in 2003 was that 100 children were injured and one or two per year were killed in and around school zones. States that returning to the language “when children are present” is too vague.
352	West	Explains that many school properties are fenced and set back from the roads.
385	Rep. Berger	Explains an incident cited by Mr. West in which a child was killed by a vehicle side mirror while waiting for a bus.
403	Wally Gutzler	Salem. Explains that he wants to see the law changed. Notes that before the law went into effect on July 1, 2004, there was more police enforcement around school zones.
TAPE 24, A
027	Hank Slangal	McMinnville. Submits and reads prepared testimony in support of changing the school speed zone laws (EXHIBIT C). Explains his home is on a street that sees more than 10,000 vehicles per day.
071	Rep. Hunt	Asks what hours children are present and what hours would be appropriate for establishing a school zone speed limit.
076	Slangal	Answers that he sees more children in the middle of the day on Sunday.
081	Rep. Beyer	Explains that police in Springfield use their discretion and enforce more vigilantly when children are present.
093	Slangal	Notes that there is little enforcement day or night.
101	Floyd Oster	Albany. Submits and reads prepared testimony in favor of changing school zone speeds (EXHIBIT D).
159	Frank Lane	Testifies in support of changing the school zone speed law. Testifies that the school zone should be a protection area for children.
195	Rep. Burley	Explains the ambiguities in the law that makes the law confusing and ineffective.
223	Lane	Explains that he has never had difficulty determining when children are present.
231	Carl Gunter	Explains the ambiguities of the law and difficulties that arise from the problems.
273	Chair Gilman	Discusses the testimony regarding safety from the committee hearing on Monday, March 7, 2005.
287	Rep. Berger	Notes that flashing traffic lights are helpful, but they are expensive.
309	Gunter	Asks about changing the color of signs to designate school zones.
332	Jennifer Shuyler	Corvallis. Submits and reads prepared testimony in support of changing the school zone laws (EXHIBIT E). Comments about an incident in which she was cited in a school zone when children were not present.
399	Chair Gilman	States that the intent is to change the law.
414	Gunter	Asks about the costs associated with installing a flashing light.
430	Chair Gilman	Responds he does not know specifics on the cost of signs.
452	Oster	Submits and reads a passage from the Oregon Driver’s Manual (EXHIBIT F).
TAPE 23, B
018	Rep. Beyer	Notes the previous testimony concerning children darting out between cars and “when children are present” may not address the problem.
030	Phil Anderson	Salem. Testifies that he drives through many school zones every day and that the current law is “overkill.” Notes that traffic speed is generally slowed by traffic congestion. Points out the children are mostly under supervision and within fenced areas. Highlights the problem of confusion regarding “when children are present.”
101	Karen Jones	Testifies in favor of the “7-7-7” idea proposed by Rep. Richardson, but would prefer to see it as “7-5-5”.
121	Rep. Berger	Asks if school zone time restraints should be in effect during the summer.
123	Jones	Answers no. Argues that it should only be in effect when school is in session.
130	Anderson	Asks if the city controls the flashing lights.
133	Rep. Berger	Answers yes.
134	Anderson	Testifies that school zone lights flash on weekends and holidays. Stresses the importance of consistency in laws.
156	Jessica Miller	Notes that many people do not know the school calendar year and dates of school holidays.
169	Rep. Berger	Describes the forty emails and letters she has received related to school zones.
181	Slangal	Notes that to travel ¼ mile at 30 miles per hour takes 30 seconds and to travel ¼ miles at 20 miles per hour takes 15 seconds more.
189	Gunter	Discusses the importance of lights flashing at school zones for safety.
201	Chair Gilman	Closes the public hearing on HB 2365, HB 2481 and HB 2840. Adjourns the meeting at 7:38 p.m.

 

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

1. HB 2840, prepared testimony of Dennis Richardson, 1p
2. HB 2365, 2481, 2840, written testimony of Norman West, 1p
3. HB 2365, 2481, 2840, written testimony of Hank Slangal, 2pp
4. HB 2365, 2481, 2840, written testimony of Floyd Oster, 1p
5. HB 2365, written testimony of Jennifer Shuyler, 1p
6. HB 2365, 2481, 2840, Oregon’s Driver Manual pgs. 74-75, Floyd Oster, 1p