“Speeding has long been a determinant of the severity and risk of injury or death for people walking and biking,” said Willie Morris IV, president of the Wayne Avenue Traffic Safety Coalition, which has pushed the city to reduce the speed limit and make other changes on Wayne Avenue in southeast Dayton.
“Reducing speeds also reduces crashes and the severity of crashes for people in cars as well, meaning fewer insurance claims that drive up costs for everyday individuals.”
New policy
The Dayton City Commission recently approved a resolution to adopt a business district speed zone policy.
Dayton likely has at least a dozen areas that could be designated as a business district, and some roadways in these areas have posted speed limits of 35 to 45 mph, said Cameron Goschinski, a city of Dayton planner.
The city will evaluate commercial corridors to identify candidates for reduced speed limits, potentially as low as 25 mph, Goschinski said. Ohio Revised Code defines a business district as an area where at least half of the property has a business use.
“Not all business districts would be impacted ...,” Goschinski said. “Further data collection and review is necessary to determine which areas would receive this designation, while considering pedestrian and bicycle activity.”
Districts that potentially could see lower speed limits include parts of Third Street, Wayne Avenue, Salem Avenue and downtown, he said. All three of those roadways have posted speed limits of 35 mph.
Community members for years have called on the city to take steps to reduce traffic speeds on Wayne Avenue, and one proposal is to lower the speed limit to 25 mph. Residents business and property owners say the road is very dangerous, especially for pedestrians, and state patrol data indicate there have been several fatal crashes on Wayne in the last five years, as well as a number of collisions that resulted in serious injuries.
The Wayne Avenue Traffic Safety Coalition supports the city’s new policy and members hope that speed limits on Wayne Avenue will be reduced. Wayne Avenue is home to an eclectic collection of businesses and shops.
Morris, president of the coalition, said a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the risk of severe injury and death in pedestrian crashes increases sharply at speeds at or above 30 mph.
Donald Baer, an East Dayton resident who lives on the 1500 block of Woodman Drive, said the speed limit is 40 mph on the 1500, 1600 and 1700 blocks of Woodman Drive, but motorists drive much faster than that.
“I know a lot of people don’t want to hear it but nobody drives the speed limit,” said Baer, during a city commission meeting earlier this year. ”Forty miles per hour becomes 50-plus.”
Baer asked the city to install speed cameras and take other action to combat dangerous speeding. The 1600 block of Woodman has a string of businesses, and the 1700 block is entirely commercial, with stores like the Goodwill Outlet, National Storage, Little Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant, United Dairy Farmers and multiple auto repair and parts businesses.
“I’m looking for some help and answers before somebody else gets killed,” Baer told the commission.
Goschinski said business district designations could begin this year but they are expected to take place over time, as corridors are evaluated.
“All designations would undergo a public engagement process to ensure the community is aware of the new speed limit, with additional time for new signage placing,” Goschinski said.
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