“There’s always panhandling going on over there,” Josephine County Commissioner Dan DeYoung said. “The people of Merlin were really concerned about that, you know that’s the gateway to their community.”
Commissioners say they hope adding a sign at the interchange will not only limit the activity but also keep the roads safer for everyone.
“Especially on a freeway off ramp, you’ve got people coming down at fairly high-rated speeds and coming to a stop. But people come out of the trafficway in order to get a hand out and then they’re vulnerable,” said DeYoung.
Commissioners said they would like ODOT will add a sign discouraging the practice at interchanges. If not, they say they’ll look into adopting a new law.
“If we put together a countywide ordinance it would be up to the sheriff’s office to enforce that,” said DeYoung.
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