Thank you for submitting this issue to the City of Portland using SeeClickFix. It has been received as service request ID #68686. Our staff will now begin their investigation.

During the course of data collection and design for the Washington/Auburn signal project, vehicle count data was compiled. In the case of the intersection of Auburn and Sanborn, the vehicles entering from Sanborn (and, for that matter, Northgate Plaza) were lower than the federal requirements determining placement for signals, as published in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, a Federal Highway document.

When this happens, the City notifies MaineDOT, who did not take issue with the conclusion. As they oversee the regulations and approvals placement of any and all traffic signals in the state, this meant that, barring something unusual, there was not a need for this device.

However, above and beyond the count data, this location has the following issues:

1.) The peak activity nearby at Lyseth and Auburn often directly impacts the signal at Sanborn, which lessens a signal's ability to meter traffic.

2.) The control cabinet at this location has a long history of damage by vehicles, and despite repeated attempts to resolve this, the problem persists.

3.) The spacing of traffic signals along this corridor ranges significantly, but generally there's 1,000 feet or more between signals, which is optimal for coordinated traffic flow (part of the signal improvement plan). In the case of this location, it is 700 feet from Lyseth, which creates some challenges.

4.) A review of the last three years' worth of crash data (typical for a safety analysis) indicated that this location has about double the crash frequency of the signals on either side of the intersection, and most of these appear to be rear-end and angle collisions likely due to the location of the signal itself. This is very common at unwarranted signalized locations.

There is another access at Chapman, across from the other end of Northgate Plaza. As such, for motorists wishing to access Auburn Street from this area, the option remains to use Chapman, which is staying and will be updated.

Please note that this process is not limited to this part of Portland. It applies throughout the City, and as such, signals have been added and removed in recent years.

Good morning,
I'm confused about how this information addresses the need for additional crosswalks on outer Washington Avenue. Raised speed bumps like those on Stevens Avenue need to be considered for this area. The speeding cars on the street have not improved and as I stated above the residents of our neighborhood have been very patient for many, many years.

This is the Washington ave side of Sanborn not the Auburn St side.

Raised speed bumps would be great!!

Your request has been closed. Thank you for partnering with us to keep The City of Portland a great place to live and work.