Baker City Recorder Approves Petition Challenging Main Street Restriping Plan

A citizen petition that could block the Baker City Council from narrowing Main Street without voter approval cleared its first formal hurdle after City Recorder Megan Langan approved the measure filed by John and Jody Jeffries on March 9.

The petition, if it reaches the November 3 ballot, would create a city ordinance preventing the council and city staff from authorizing, funding, or implementing any reduction in vehicle travel lanes on streets the city's Transportation Plan designates as commercial, arterial, or collector, including state highways within city limits. The segment of Main Street between Campbell Street and Auburn Avenue is explicitly covered. The Jeffries still need to collect roughly 1,130 valid signatures to qualify for the November vote.

The petition language is direct about its intent: "Under this amendment, the City of Baker City (including Council and Staff) shall not authorize, fund, or implement any reduction in the number of vehicle travel lanes on any street designated by the City's Transportation Plan as commercial, arterial or collector (including state highways within city limits) unless the specific change is first approved by a majority of voters at a regularly scheduled election."

The push traces to a proposal to restrip Main Street from four lanes to three, converting the corridor between Campbell Street and Auburn Avenue from two lanes each direction to one each direction while adding buffer zones, bicycle lanes, and a center turn lane. Proponents of the change call it a road diet.

The council first confronted the petition at its January 13 meeting, after the Jeffries delivered it to the city on January 9. Council members heard roughly two hours of public comment split between pedestrian-safety advocates who backed the bike lanes and downtown business owners and residents who opposed the lane reduction. Several speakers pointed to past changes on Campbell Street as a reason to require broader community sign-off before altering major corridors.

John Jeffries addressed the council directly during that session. "We, the people, desire to express our opinions not only vocally, but to communicate through the actual process of voting," he said. Matt Kraybacher, speaking from the other side of the debate, told the council: "I fully support bike lanes on Main Street."

Rather than adopt the restriping plan that night, the council voted to let the petition process run its course. Councilmembers cited timing and funding uncertainties connected to an Oregon Department of Transportation grant as factors in the decision to defer action.

The Jeffries subsequently submitted the petition formally to the Recorder's office on March 9, and Langan's approval now opens the signature-gathering phase. Whether the question reaches Baker City voters in November depends on how quickly the petitioners can collect those 1,130 signatures and clear the validation process.