$40K cost estimate for signs and painting
By Paula Pyzik Scott
On Tuesday, June 11, the Ada Council approved safety improvements to traffic flow as well as added parking on Buckeye Ave. between Johnson and Gilbert streets. In a special meeting held at Community Health Professionals and attended by just two Ada residents, the four members of council in attendance voted unanimously to adopt a concept that creates one-way traffic flow away from Main St. and creates new angled parking on the south side of Buckeye Ave.
ONE-WAY TRAFFIC
Village Administrator Jamie Hall presented two concepts developed by Choice One Engineering, designated as A) one-way traffic flowing east and west away from Main and B) traffic flowing one way east from Gilbert St. to Johnson St..
Hall explained that if council chose to not change traffic flow, four parking spaces would need to be removed from Main Street to improve drivers’ view from Buckeye of oncoming traffic.
Safety concerns have been discussed since April 2022, as shown in a timeline presented by the Village. Analysis by Choice One Engineering shows that 32 current conflict points at Buckeye and Main can be reduced to 12-13 with the change to one-way traffic.
Hall also presented two approaches with two price points for implementing the project. An estimated $37,200 option is to add directional signs and grind or use coatings to remove current pavement markings. A $122,000 option would include resurfacing the two blocks of Buckeye and adding curb bump outs in addition to painting parking spots. Engineering services would be used in both of these approaches.
These costs were not in hand when the 2024 Village budget was created. However, Hall said that there are funds that can be reappropriated to allow the project to proceed this year.
PARKING GAIN
There are currently 40 on-street parking spaces on Buckeye between Gilbert and Johnson Streets. Twelve additional spaces will be created with the new street design.
The design calls for reverse angle parking, which reduces the chance of crashes. It is more difficult to see oncoming cars when backing into the street. Hall noted that he has observed some drivers are currently backing into angle parking on Highland Ave.
Police Chief Alec Cooper commented that he received an inquiry about overnight parking from tenants in a downtown apartment. Some downtown apartments do not have off-street parking. Hall said that the no parking from 2:00-6:00 a.m. designation in effect on Main St. would not extend onto Buckeye.
