Salem wants to lower the speed limit on Liberty Road S from 45 mph to 35 mph. A state panel will hear the city's case at a public hearing Thursday, Sept. 10.

The Oregon Speed Zone Review Panel will meet at 8:30 a.m. to consider the proposed reduction on Liberty Road S between Holder Lane SE and a point 450 feet south of Radiance Ave. SE, according to an Oregon Department of Transportation bulletin issued Thursday, Sept. 3.

The request landed before the panel because it is a contested speed zone case. In Oregon, most speed limit changes are worked out between ODOT and the local road authority. When the two sides cannot reach agreement, the dispute goes to the Speed Zone Review Panel for a ruling.

The reason for the disagreement is unclear. The ODOT bulletin does not say why the city and the agency could not agree, or what specific safety concerns prompted Salem's request.

The panel does not meet on a regular schedule. It convenes only when at least two contested speed zone cases are pending, which typically happens two or three times a year. The hearing will be the panel's third of 2026, following a session in June.

The panel includes representatives from the Governor's Transportation Safety Committee, Oregon State Police, the Association of Oregon Counties, the League of Oregon Cities and ODOT.

Don Hamilton, an ODOT spokesperson, told KLCC in December 2025, ahead of a different panel hearing in Eugene, that rulings typically come quickly. "A decision should come promptly. If not that day, then within a couple of days," Hamilton said.

Residents who want to testify can attend in person or join virtually through Microsoft Teams. A phone option is available at 971-277-1965, Conference ID: 420 096 468#. Anyone needing disability accommodations should call 503-986-3580 at least 48 hours before the hearing. ODOT media contact David House can be reached at 503-551-8641 for additional information.