This is the diagonal white line that directs Ellsworth Street traffic turning left on Ninth Avenue, photographed Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 21, 2026.
It was in October 2018 that the Oregon Department of Transportation followed up on an Albany request and painted a new line to help drivers on Ellsworth Street turning left on Ninth Avenue. It has worked pretty well, but maybe not well enough.
During its November meeting, the Albany Transportation Advisory Commission heard from Brad Dennis, head of the North Albany Neighborhood Association.
Dennis had observed that drivers occasionally don’t see or ignore the diagonal lane marking on the pavement. So they go straight and don’t leave room for vehicles to enter the center left-turn lane from their right.
Dennis asked the city panel to request that ODOT take another look and see if anything can be done to make the lane marking more emphatic. The possibility of a rumble strip was mentioned.
I asked Andrew Monaco, an engineer in Albany Public Works, if he’d had a reaction from ODOT.
“I reached out to the maintenance section as those markings were done as part of a maintenance project,” he told me. “They were going to touch base with their traffic section about it and get back in touch with me.”
I have more than a passing interest in this. For years I had noticed that all along Ellsworth through downtown, the left lane was often packed while the right lane was empty. Otherwise drivers could not be sure to get into the left-turn lane at Ninth.
So I suggested a lane marking to allow access for a left turn from the right lane. After ODOT repaved the downtown couplet in 2018, Ron Irish, then the city’s street expert, asked the state to make that change. ODOT first painted a dotted line. When that didn’t work, the solid white line took its place.
As I said, most of the time it works to open up two lanes for the left turn. But if you’re in the right lane hoping to get into position to turn left, you always hope drivers on your left will see that white line, move over and leave space for you. (hh)
Most of the time, like here on Wednesday afternoon, the lane marking works just fine in directing traffic. But not always.
I know of several people, in the right lane, who intend to turn left. But when the car in the left lane goes straight they crossover into the adjacent lane. Sooner or later this will cause a crash. I hope that this can be fixed before injuries occur.
When I’m driving down Ellsworth and plan a left turn onto ninth I always stay in the right lane because it’s usually empty. I do know to check that the person to my left stays in their lane
I drive this route every morning, and turn onto Ellsworth from 6th. That means I always turn left from the right lane. I witness someone cross the solid line at least a couple times a month. I’m surprised there aren’t more crashes here.
The marking is clear. If someone “can’t see it,” they’re either not paying attention or ignoring it—both of which are driver issues, not paint issues. I was literally hit here because someone drove into my lane. That’s why tickets and insurance hikes exist.
The car that almost hit me was probably not paying attention and didn’t realize they had crossed over the line. That’s why I’m asking the City to work with ODOT to install a rumble strip to help the careless drivers realize what they did.
And what makes you think that a rumble strip will do anything?
We already have in issue with folks not being able to understand how a white since that am to 5pmsays “School Zone” works. Had to add “7am to 5pm”. And since that wasn’t enough…let’s add reflective yellow color and orange flags. But apparently that isn’t enough and so now they want flashing lights. Because they are either too freaking stupid or too freaking lazy to think.
They just need to lay a 24 inch log on the line and stake it down. That would keep the cars in the left lane.
DON’T NEED 22 MILLION TO FIX THAT….GALLON OF WHITE PAINT..OH MY
The real question is are two left turn lanes really needed? The two lanes eventually become one lane again. This whole area is constantly plagued with right-of-way and red light violations. An alternative route change would be to convert the Ellsworth-Pacific Blvd intersection into a lighted intersection with a left turn option. The other option is for ALL drivers to observe the basic rules of the road and keep their heads focused on the road and not their posteriors.
If people understood and used the zipper merge this extra lane would greatly help. The problem is really on 9th as we pass under Pacific and merge into inner lane.
This is where the bottleneck occurs due to fear and greed. We’re arriving someone will get in front of us, so we hoard the best lane for ourselves. This creates a competitiveness that destroys zipper merges and influences traffic on Ellsworth for several blocks.
I have never witnessed anyone attempting to go straight through the intersection from the center lane. This updated configuration of the center lane to turn left has helped a lot and I almost always use to turn left.
One of the hassles of growth. This intersection was never an issue 30-40 years ago when Albany was half the size. I can see a flying overpass in Ellsworth’s future, ala what you see in Texas at major freeway intersections. The overpass would need to fly over Pacific Blvd so a good 30 feet in the air with the ramp starting around 7th St (said tongue-in-cheek). Ellsworth (and Lyon) was never intended for this type of through traffic. Something needs to be done long term, like a bypass north of the railroad bridge? Not an easy civil engineering problem
And there is no rule in the DMV regarding crossing the white line.
Also as a side bar, you can make a left turn from both left turn lanes onto another one way street against a red light.
Bingo on the left turn from both lanes! Works slick too!
Correct. DMV training manual says “Used to direct traffic into specific lanes, such as turn lanes, and to separate bike lanes from other traffic lanes. Crossing a wide solid white line is permitted but discouraged.” So if a cop pulls you over he can say, I’m really discouraged that you crossed the solid while line. Maybe it should be a double white line and then ODOT can give control of that block to the city so the city can put up a double while line camera enforcement area?
But seriously people need to say in their lane, otherwise if you hit someone it’s failure to maintain lane.
I have seen hundreds of drivers cross the solid white line, I have almost been hit several times. The fact of the matter is that drivers are NOT supposed to cross over solid white lines, but there are a lot of drivers that vew it as a suggestion like so many other traffic laws!
ODOT needs to put up white rubber wobble sticks with reflective tape on them. If bad drivers want to ignore the law, they will damage the front of their own car, and maybe learn from that!
Instead of rumble strips, how about using a closely spaced row of those big domed bumps? Highly noticeable, especially when used with reflectors.
Rumble strips will not work, by the time the offender hears the rumble they have already offended. Something 3 dimensional is needed as said above, or a short curb. I have seen this happen dozens of times enough so that I make sure I am a little in front of the person in the left lane when I get there.
People cross single white lines all the time into driveways, like left turn into Bi-Mart, left turn into Arby’s. How about double white or single yellow?
I have seen many drivers in the left lane, decide to merge over to the right lane, over the solid line. Apparently they are not aware (was on drivers’ exams) a solid line means no crossing.. I have had to make sure to give them room.
And lately there are more and more people in the left lane, on a red light that think they can just turn left even though the traffic going east on 9th street has the right of way.
And there are those inconsiderate drivers that also block the left lane on 9th street at the corner of Ellsworth and 9th (NE corner) so those of who are heading downtown, cannot get over to make our left turn onto Lyon Street. The City should put up signs. Do NOT block the left lane. Or no turn on red if traffic is coming from the west….
I know, that is asking too much.
Well it is legal to cross a solid white line and it is also legal to make a left turn on red at that intersection because you are turning onto a one-way street.