Akron’s plan to control speeding gets underway in May

Justin Dennis
·2 min read

AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — Akron is installing 30 temporary speed tables — as well as one that will be permanent — in an effort to curtail speeding cars in residential neighborhoods.

“Speeding is consistently ranked as one of the No. 1 one concerns of Akron residents in their neighborhoods,” Mayor Shammas Malik is quoted in a news release.

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Speed tables are raised sections of the road near the middle of a block, like flat speed bumps that are long enough to raise all four wheels of a vehicle, forcing it to slow down.

A permanent speed tabled is planned for Maple Street in Ward 1, according to the release. Here are the streets expected to get a temporary speed table this year:

  • Ward 1: Hall Street, Kuder Avenue

  • Ward 2: Chapman Drive

  • Ward 3: Thornton Street

  • Ward 4: Elmdale Avenue

  • Ward 5: Clark Street, Lover’s Lane

  • Ward 6: Shelburn Avenue, Alaho Street

  • Ward 7: Hammel Street

  • Ward 8: Winhurst Drive, North Pershing Avenue

  • Ward 9: Battles Avenue, 12th and 6th streets

  • Ward 10: Wyandot, Mohawk and Goodview avenues

Motorists should expect to see signs nearby and residents living along those streets should expect to get a postcard in the mail about them.

They’re expected to be installed throughout the next month and will stay there until the fall, according to the release.

Also in the works are 40 more solar-powered speed limit signs that flash a passing driver’s speed to remind them to stay below the speed limit. Forty signs are already in place — two each along 20 different streets in all 10 wards.

New signs are planned for 21 more streets this year:

  • Ward 1: Two each along Crosby Street and Edgerton Road

  • Ward 2: Two each along Fouse Avenue and Breiding Road

  • Ward 3: Two along Kenmore Boulevard and one each on Cedar and Exchange streets

  • Ward 4: Two each along South Rose Boulevard and Delia Avenue

  • Ward 5: Two each along Johnston and South streets

  • Ward 6: Two each along Albrecht Avenue and George Washington Boulevard

  • Ward 7: Two each along Thornapple and Cole avenues

  • Ward 8: Two each along Sand Run and Merriman roads

  • Ward 9: Two each along East and Hancock avenues

  • Ward 10: Two each along Newton Street and Tonowanda Avenue

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The city received more than 600 requests for “traffic calming” measures last year, according to the release. Since the city started placing temporary speed tables in 2020, they’ve seen an average decrease in vehicle speeds by 3 mph to 6 mph, according to the release.

The locations of speed tables and speed limit signs are selected based on requests. To have your street considered for the Traffic Calming Program, you can fill out a form on the city’s website. To give feedback on traffic calming in a certain area, take the city’s online survey.

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