Slowing the commute
Mountrail officials ask NDDOT to lower speeds on Highways 8, 23By ELOISE OGDEN, Regional Editor, eogden@minotdailynews.com
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Fact Box
TRAFFIC TICKETS ISSUED
STANLEY The Mountrail County Sheriff's Department has issued more than 1,000 traffic tickets so far in 2008 in the oil-field areas in the county, said Sheriff Ken Halvorson. He said that is the current number of tickets which have been paid to the county Clerk of Court.
He said the number of traffic tickets has "probably tripled-plus" since 2007.
The tickets have been issued for speeding, not stopping for a stop sign and other traffic violations, he said.
Besides Halvorson, there are five deputies including a chief deputy and four patrol deputies. They are also responsible for numerous other duties including policing the communities in the county.
Eloise Ogden
STANLEY Mountrail County officials are asking the North Dakota Department of Transportation to reduce the speed limit from 65 mph to 55 mph on North Dakota Highways 23 and 8 in the Parshall, New Town and Stanley areas because of the heavy truck traffic and recent fatalities.
The concerns are "a joint major concern" of the Mountrail County Sheriff's Department and the Mountrail County Commission, said Sheriff Ken Halvorson.
"Definitely, we need to lower the speed limit on 8 and 23. We definitely need the intersection at the junction of 8 and 23 marked with a light, we definitely need the shoulders widened on No. 8, and we definitely need a double solid yellow line from the 8 and 23 intersection to New Town," Halvorson said.
In the oil-field areas in Mountrail County, Halvorson said the speed limit on many Mountrail County roads has been reduced to 35 or 45 mph. He said some township boards in the county have done the same on roads in their townships.
In a letter sent to the N.D. Transportation Department earlier this month, signed by David Hynek, chairman, Arlo Borud and Greg Boschee, they said, "We are extremely concerned with the fatalities on Highway #23 and the increase of oil traffic ..."
The commissioners asked Transportation Department officials to give their "utmost consideration" to the following:
- Reduce speed to 55 mph from Parshall to New Town.
- Reduce speed to 55 mph from Stanley to junction of Highway No. 8 and No. 23.
- Double solid yellow line from the junction of Highway No. 8 and No. 23 to New Town.
- 90 degree intersection at U.S. No. 2 and Highway No. 8 at Stanley.
- Widen shoulders on Highway No. 8.
There have been several recent fatalities in the New Town, Parshall and Stanley areas, as well as a number of tanker rollovers, including one last week in the Belden area, Halvorson said. He said the tanker rollovers have resulted in minor injuries and occurred because of the makeup of the road. Belden is south of Stanley and on N.D. Highway 8.
Halvorson said Highway 8 from Highway 2 at Stanley to the junction of Highway 23 is dangerous, especially for trucks because of the steep shoulders.
He said the intersection of
Highways 8 and 23 needs a flashing red/amber warning light. The red light would be for north/south traffic in addition to the existing stop sign. The amber light would be for east/west traffic on N.D. 23.
He said a 90-degree intersection at Highways 2 and 8 at Stanley would be safer than the existing intersection.
Billie Jo Lorius, communications specialist for the Transportation Department in Bismarck, said the N.D. Transportation Department, at the request of Mountrail County, currently is conducting a speed study, which covers Highways 23 and 8. She said the speed study started in mid-August.
Lorius explained how the speed study is conducted:
"An automatic data recorder (ADR) is used to record speeds. As part of the ADR, sensor tubes are placed across the roadway in specified areas of the roadway. The ADR records traffic speeds based on these sensors.
"This information is used to determine the speed at which 86 percent of the vehicles are traveling at or below that speed. On state-controlled roads, the NDDOT takes the information to determine an appropriate speed for that roadway."
"The NDDOT is looking at crash history and roadway curves, alignment and conditions on N.D. 23 and N.D. 8," Lorius said.
Lorius said NDDOT will have a complete report on its findings, as well as recommendations by this fall.
She said there are no current plans in the North Dakota Department of Transportation's Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, better known as STIP, to four-lane Highway 23 and Highway 8.
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concerned60
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08-21-08 3:12 PM
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As a concerned member of this community, and whose family and friends drive this highway many times everyday, something needs to be done. In the past three months, 2 of the fatalities on Highway 23 have greatly impacted my family. Just last week the news was talking about the $billion plus surplus in a North Dakota fund. These highways need attention and maybe that surplus could help this very desperate situation. The 'no passing zone' and the flashing lights at the corner would also be extremely beneficial.
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reader
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08-21-08 9:49 AM
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This has been a dangerous road for many years,even without the oil traffic. Now of course the traffic is heavier. I have seen cars many times though pass vehicles in unsafe areas. Everyone needs to use common sense on the road and defensive driving skills. I agree unskilled, irresponsible, inattentive drivers do cause accidents. I do think some of those drivers are not in the oil indudstry, and sometimes are a hazard to the oil truck drivers too. We all need to slow down and be patient in that short stretch of road. We may get somewhere a few minutes later but I think our lives are worth it.
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JerryO
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08-21-08 9:23 AM
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Speed doesn't cause accidents. Unskilled, irresponsible, inattentive drivers cause accidents. If the oil trucks are causing problems, crack down on the oil truck drivers and companies. If you want to reduce the speed, do it for the oil trucks. Don't penalize everybody because of a few bad apples.
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