05/18/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/18/2026 10:16
Lane County has designated Marcola Road and Clear Lake Road as Safety Corridors, which doubles traffic fines, to reduce the number of people killed and injured due to impaired driving and excessive speeding. The designation on Marcola Road is from Hayden Bridge to Parsons Creek Road. The designation on Clear Lake Road is from Territorial Highway to Green Hill Road. The doubled fines will be effective May 25, 2026, through May 25, 2028.
|
Violation |
Includes |
Presumptive Fine |
Enhanced Fine |
|
Class A |
30 mph over speed limit |
$440 |
$875 |
|
Class B |
21-30 mph over limit |
$265 |
$525 |
|
Class C |
11-20 mph over limit |
$165 |
$325 |
|
Class D |
1-10 mph over limit |
$115 |
$225 |
In recent years, multiple people have been killed and seriously injured in traffic crashes on Marcola Road and Clear Lake Road. Most of those crashes involved excessive speed or driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol (DUII). Increased fines are intended to deter people from violating traffic laws.
One of Lane County's top priorities is to ensure people can get where they're going safely on County-maintained roads. That's why, when the state established a pilot program to test safety corridors aimed at improving rural traffic safety, Lane County was one of two counties in Oregon that chose to participate. The London Road Safety Corridor pilot program was a success: from 2021 to 2023, fatal and serious injury crashes were significantly reduced, demonstrating that doubled traffic fines, coupled with road signs and outreach, can save lives.
Based on the success of the London Road Safety Corridor, the Oregon Legislature amended state law (House Bill 2154) in 2025 to enable counties to designate up to two safety corridors at a time. Previously, the safety corridor designation was only available to state highways. The new law became effective January 1, 2026.
On February 10, 2026, the Board of County Commissioners approved a permanent Lane County Safety Corridor program, consistent with the new law. County roads with two or more fatal or serious injury crashes within the last five years are now eligible for safety corridor designation. Active safety corridors will have "Safety Corridor / Fines Double" signs. After two years, the signs will be moved to two other roads with high rates of fatal and serious injury crashes, and new signs saying "Our Community Values Safe Driving" will be installed to replace the safety corridor signs. The goal is to rotate the Safety Corridors every two years to roads with the most fatal and serious injury crashes.
We need everyone to make safety a priority. To prevent speeding, please plan travel times realistically. Traveling at lower speeds makes the roads safer for our friends and family. To prevent driving under the influence, coordinate with friends and family to designate a sober driver. We all want to get home safely. Together, we can prevent traffic crashes.
For more information, visit LaneCountyOR.gov/TowardZeroDeaths