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FAQ: Roads



Who do I call about pot holes?
  • Highway 212 and 224 contact ODOT at (503) 665-4193. 
  • All Public Rights of Way contact Clackamas County:
      • Non-hazardous road problem call 503-650-3262
      • Hazardous road problem call 503-557-6391
      • After hours Sheriff’s Office 503-655-8911


How are the roads maintained?
First, find out who owns the road. Unsure? View the transportation map, call the City at (503) 658-8545, or go to City Hall. The Oregon Department of Transportation Maintains Highway 212 and 224.

Clackamas County maintains most of the roads within the City of Damascus. Clackamas County has transferred jurisdiction of all local access roads they did not maintain to the City. The City of Damascus has not accepted these roads for maintenance to date. Typically these roads will not be accepted by a City for maintenance until they are built to an accepted standard adopted by the City Council.

In 2008 the Council authorized City staff to do a onetime road rehabilitation project on all local access roads transferred to the City by the County. This rehabilitation project included a 2” hot mix asphalt overlay, hot mix asphalt patching, slurry seal applications, gravel road restoration, street sweeping and culvert cleaning. The project was funded through state gas tax receipts the City currently receives.

If you have questions regarding maintenance, please contact Steve Gaschler, City of Damascus Public Works Director, via email or call 503-658-8545.


Who do I contact if a street light is not working?
If a street light is no longer working, please write down the map number and the pole number that can be found on a metallic plate attached to the light pole. Once you have the two numbers, please contact PGE by phone @ 503-736-5710 or email. It may take up to a few weeks before the repair work is completed.

 


How are speed limits determined?
Most roads in Damascus are considered County roads even though they are within the City of Damascus. The County has to improve the roads or pay the City the costs of improvements before it can turn jurisdiction over to the City. The City has been in communication with the County and is told the County is in favor of transferring jurisdiction; however, the County doesn’t have any money to improve the roads or pay the City.

Under Oregon Vehicle Code Section 811.105.2e, unposted roads have a 55 mph speed limit. There are two methods to set a speed limit for a roadway. When a road is built or rebuilt, it is classified by the jurisdiction controlling the roadway, and then the proper speed limit is matched to the roadway’s designation, i.e. an arterial road speed limit is 35-45 mph and a residential road speed limit is 25 mph.

The County has jurisdiction of most roads in Damascus, and when the roads were constructed, many were designated as a rural county farm to market road.  To establish a different speed limit on an unposted or previously posted road, the ODOT Region traffic engineering staff conducts an investigation using procedures in accordance with nationally accepted traffic engineering standards. Factors taken into consideration are accident history, roadside culture, traffic volumes, roadway alignment, width and surface. A major factor in establishing speed zones is consideration of the 85th percentile speed. This is the speed at or below which 85 percent of the vehicles are traveling. This is used as an indication of the speed most drivers feel is reasonable and safe. Clackamas County would have to make a written request to ODOT for this study, and in the past, they have been unwilling to do so.

For more information visit the following ODOT website.

Speed limits are a common problem when an area is transforming from rural to urban. The City won’t be able to adjust the speed on any road until jurisdiction of the roadway is transferred to the City after it has been reconstructed to an urban standard.  The speed limit assigned will be determined by the designation of the road. The roadway designations and speed limits are currently being established in the City of Damascus Transportation System Plan. The plan will be posted for public review and comments soon.
 


Are trucks allowed to use exhaust brakes on Highway 212?
Muffled exhaust brakes are legal in Oregon, according to provisions in ORS 811.492 and 810.214. They are considered a safety feature on trucks. ODOT cannot post signs prohibiting the use of muffled brakes. “Unmuffled Engine Braking Prohibited” signs are available to remind drivers to use muffled brakes, but only if certain warrants are met. The City will be monitoring the number of complaints regarding the use of unmuffled exhaust brakes and will present the findings to ODOT when the warrants have been met. Citizens may use our Request Form to record their complaint. Please select “Public Works” as the department and “Noise” as the request category, then complete the form before submitting.

 
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City Of Damascus • 19920 SE Highway 212 • Damascus, Oregon 97089          Phone (503) 658-8545 • Fax (503) 658-5786