According to the News-Times, 10/7/98, the Newport City Council approved the re-positioning of stop signs at the intersection of NE First Street and NE Coos Street. Instead of stopping the north-south traffic, the east-west traffic on NE First St. will face the stop sign. This change is said to be for the purpose of encouraging drivers to use the Coos-Benton route as an alternative to HWY 101 and as an alternative to NE Eads/Benton/7th which passes Newport High, Newport Middle and Sam Case schools.
The primary alternatve to 101 has been NE EAds, but the schools have generated such a volume of pedestrians and pick-up and drop-off vehicles that an alternative to the alternative is needed, a by-pass to the by-pass, as it were.
Sadly, the Newport City Council decision is only a very inadequate first step toward making Coos-Benton a real bypass. Several other stop signs on Benton must be repositioned - at Sixth Street, Eight Street, and Eleventh Street. Probably a 4-way stop at Benton and 12th Street will be needed to redirect traffic which now uses 12th instead of 11th. A "right turn without stopping" for east-bound traffic on 11th turning south onto Benton would also help.
Another important change is to pave the two blocks of Benton which is still gravel between 8th Street and 10th Court. A final needed improvement is to use part of the tennis/basketball courts at 4th and Benton to reduce the steepness of the curve from Benton to Coos. The recreation area could be expanded to the south and no loss of recreation facility would result.
Decisions such as those recommended here require money and courage. Some of the money can be raised by submitting worthwhile plans to the State Transportation Dept. Courage may be harder to come by.