our view

Sometimes it takes years — 139 of them in this case — to feel the aftershocks of seismic events.

Back in 1884, the California & Oregon Railroad made a decision that changed the very nature of the Rogue Valley. Instead of routing its main line through the hillsides surrounding Jacksonville, it chose to make Medford its primary depot location.

The chain reaction that created the cities we see today had started. In 1927, the county seat had moved to the valley floor. Forty years later, the creation of Interstate 5 would change traffic patterns, and speed, in and around the city.

Jacksonville, meanwhile, evolved into a more tranquil environment — to the point where Medford residents of today relish the chance to take a leisurely afternoon and head to their neighbor’s relative calm, and slower, pace of life.

These days, Jacksonville — which had sought the roar and public attention of that train route all those years ago — justly celebrates the pace of life to which it since has become accustomed.

Which is why the actions of the recently formed Citizens for a Safer Jacksonville are to be watched with an admiring eye.

The group’s initial focus is centered on pumping the brakes on an increase in vehicles speeding on the city’s primary thoroughfares and side streets and, in doing so, emphasize improvements to traffic safety.

“Enough is enough,” Safer Jacksonville organizer Cindy Rasmussen said during a February meeting of the City Council. “We need to do something before someone gets killed.”

It’s a fear that anyone who has meandered the city’s sidewalks and played games of chicken while trying to cross California will understand. Traffic speeds along California and North Fifth change from 20 mph, to 30, then to 25, and then back to 30 — which can confuse even drivers experienced with Jacksonville’s eccentricities.

Mayor Donna Bowen attended the citizen group’s May 24 town hall meeting and, noting the need for drivers to practice safe driving, empathized with the calls for safety.

“We have these main thoroughfares through town that serve residents and tourists and commercial trucks,” she said. “People are usually in a hurry, and they sometimes don’t pay attention to traffic rules.”

The response from police and city officials has members of Citizens for a Safer Jacksonville feeling encouraged that everyone is on the same page regarding their goals.

Reaching those goals can be trickier for, as Bowen points out, Jacksonville cannot act unilaterally in some cases, needing to collaborate with Jackson County and the state before some changes can be enacted.

The citizens group hopes to have a proposal to put before the City Council next month. Among the ideas being discussed is a single speed limit, perhaps as low as 20 mph, throughout the city.

The cooperation between the city and its residents is encouraging. A problem has been acknowledged, discussed and solutions are being formulated in a spirit of cooperation.

It also should bring a smile to those who can imagine how different life in Jacksonville might be had the railroad come to town.