2025-377-Order No. 2025-050 Recorded 11/17/2025Recorded in Deschutes County CJ2025-377
REVIEWED Steve Dennison, County Clerk
commissioners' Journal 11 /17/2025 10:35:35 AM
_49
LEGAL COUNSEL
f ti : I II II IIII�I�I� ICI
2025-377
For Recording Stamp Only
BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF DESCHUTES COUNTY, OREGON
An Order Establishing a Designated Speed of
35 Miles Per Hour on Buffalo Drive
ORDER NO. 2025-050
WHEREAS, pursuant to Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 810.180(5)(f), the Oregon Department
of Transportation (ODOT) has delegated its authority under the Oregon Vehicle Code to Deschutes
County with respect to establishing designated speeds on low -volume highways under the County's
road authority; and
WHEREAS, under ODOT criteria, low -volume highways are public roads with an average daily
traffic of less than 400 vehicles per day; and
WHEREAS, Buffalo Drive is a County road that lies outside the corporate limits of any city and
has an average daily traffic volume of 389 vehicles per day; and
WHEREAS, the Deschutes County Road Department conducted an engineering and traffic
investigation for Buffalo Drive in accordance with ODOT criteria; and
WHEREAS, based on the findings of said engineering and traffic investigation, the Deschutes
County Road Department has found that the speed designated in ORS 811.105, ORS 811.111, or any
previous order with respect to the designated speed is greater than is reasonable under the conditions
found to exist upon Buffalo Drive and has recommended a designated speed on Buffalo Drive of 35
MPH; now, therefore
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF DESCHUTES COUNTY, OREGON,
HEREBY ORDERS as follows:
Section 1. That the designated speed for the following highway segment be as follows:
Highway Name: Buffalo Drive
LOCATION OF TERMINI
Designated
Speed
From:
To:
(Miles/Hour)
Wilt Road
Mountain View Road 7-
35
Section 2. That the Deschutes County Road Department shall install appropriate signs giving
notice of the designated speed in accordance with ORS 810.180(5)(e).
Section 3. That the signs installed pursuant to this order comply with the provisions of ORS
810.210 and 810.220.
PAGE 1 OF 2- ORDER No. 2025-050
Section 4. That any previous order with respect to the designated speed of the above highway
segment which is in conflict with the provisions of this order is hereby rescinded.
Section 5. That this order will remain in effect until and unless rescinded by order of the Board
of County Commissioners.
DATED this Z , � day of !�� , 2025.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF DESCHUTES COUNTY, OREGON
ATTEST:
i1
Recor ' g c4aicrEitary
PAGE 2 OF 2- ORDER No. 2025-050
1��3TES C0
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BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS
MEETING DATE: November 3, 2025
SUBJECT: Approval of Order No. 2025-049, Mountain View Road Speed Zone and Order
No. 2025-050, Buffalo Road Speed Zone
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Move approval of Order Nos. 2025-049 and 2025-050 to reduce the speed limit on a
portion of Mountain View Road and a portion of Buffalo Road to 35 mph.
BACKGROUND AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS:
Sneed limits on all public roads in Oregon are set by state law in the Oregon Vehicle Code.
Implementation of a speed zone, which changes the speed limit on a given segment of a
public road from the statutory speed limit, requires a speed zone order. Under the Oregon
Vehicle Code, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is responsible for
conducting speed zone investigations to determine a recommended speed limit and for
issuing speed zone orders that set a new designated speed that differs from a previously
designated speed on county roads. However, under the Oregon Vehicle Code, ODOT can
delegate speed zoning authority to a county for roads under the county's authority with an
average daily traffic of less than 400 vehicles per day. A county with this delegated
authority is required to conduct speed zone investigations in accordance with ODOT
standards.
Buffalo Drive and Mountain View Road both provide access to the Whychus Canyon Estates
community from Wilt Road. Buffalo Drive and Mountain View Road are functionally
classified as local roads and the segments are 1.38 miles and 1.25 miles in length,
respectively. The roads lie within and provide access to RR10-zoned lands.
The current speed limit on Buffalo Drive between Wilt Road and Mountain View Road is 45
miles per hour as set by Order No. 98-108. The current speed limit on Mountain View Road
between Buffalo Drive and the easterly end of County maintenance is the statutory speed
limit of 55 mph, however the segment is currently posted at 45 mph.
In recent years, the Road Department has received several requests from Whychus Canyon
Estates residents for reduced speed limits on Buffalo Drive and Mountain View Road east
of Buffalo Drive. In response, Department staff conducted a speed zone investigation on
both roads; the report from this investigation is included with the agenda item materials.
Based on this investigation, the Department is recommending a designated speed of 35
mph for both Buffalo Drive and Mountain View Road east of Buffalo Drive.
The area adjacent to the roads is residential in context, with residents using the paved
roadway cross -sections for walking and biking. The recommended speed of 35 mph is
generally consistent with the observed 50th-percentile speeds (the speed at or below which
50% of vehicles were observed to be travelling during the study).
Adoption of Order No. 2025- 049 will reduce the speed limit on Mountain View Road
between Buffalo Drive and the easterly end of County maintenance from a statutory 55
mph to 35 mph, while adoption of Order No. 2025-050 will rescind Order No. 98-108 and
reduce the speed limit on Buffalo Drive between Wilt Road and Mountain View Road from
45 mph to 35 mph.
BUDGET IMPACTS:
None.
ATTENDANCE:
Cody Smith, County Engineer/Assistant Road Department Director