Speed order shows some speeding tickets unfair

MILWAUKIE, Ore. – Claims a local police department is unfairly writing drivers speeding tickets on King Avenue in Milwaukie could be proven right by a nearly 30-year-old state order.

The order showed police could be in the wrong, not drivers and could impact dozens of people who will go to a local traffic court and anyone else who has received a speeding ticket on any Oregon public road.

On 4th Avenue and King Road, Sgt. Kevin Krebs went after speeders in the name of safety.

“This is an area which has long had a history of complaints of speeders,” said Krebs. “We’ve had speeds as high as 50 plus in here.”

But people who have been ticketed said the area is a classic speed trap.

Lalita Miles got a photo radar ticket while driving in her yellow Volkswagen Bug.

“My husband said ‘you got a speeding ticket,’ and I said ‘for what?’” she said.

Miles said she only saw one speed limit sign, which read 35 mph and that it’s the only speed limit she’s known on the road where she’s driven for 33 years.

But Krebs said the road was a 25 mph zone.

“It’s been that way for years,” he said.

There are four signs on that part of King Road. When people turn eastbound to King from 42nd Avenue, they might see a 25 mph sign on a high post near the intersection. A city spokesman said that sign is in the wrong spot and 200 feet west of where it should be.

As the driver goes east down King they could see the 35 mph sign placed between 44th and 47th Avenues. At the same time, another driver heading westbound on King might see a 25mph sign just across the street from the 35mph sign.

Because the area is a residential area, Krebs said the entire road on both sides could technically be posted as 25 mph.

But an Oregon state speed order issued by ODOT dated Feb. 20, 1980 showed that the speed going eastbound and westbound on King between 44th and 53rd should both be 35 mph.

A speed order is issued for every public roadway in the state. Anyone who has received a ticket can get the order for the road where they were accused of speeding and see if the posted speed matches the speed order or if the signs in their speed zone also violate these state orders.

Checking the speed order could help drivers avoid hefty fines and increased insurance rates.

Daryl Dixon was going eastbound on King up the hill when Krebs wrote him a ticket, east of the 35 mph sign.

His ticket, however, said he was at 44th and King in a 25 mph zone and Dixon was fined $235.

“Yeah, I was going up the hill,” said Dixon. “I remember the flash hitting my face and I was like, ‘oh snap.’”

The same fine was issued by Krebs for Lalita Miles and twice for Jimmy Meyer’s family.

“My wife ended up getting the same ticket here, except going the opposite way when the speed goes from 35 to 25 here,” said Meyers. “It’s discouraging when you live in a neighborhood and you drive in a spot every day and you have to have this happen.”

Krebs, who is also the spokesperson for the Milwaukie Police Department, said the main priority was safety, not raising revenue.

“No, it is safety,” he said. “”We’ve had crashes at this location. As a matter of fact, this very location two months ago we had a crash where it was speed related.”