Residents urge action after near-miss at Howe Road trail crossing; city outlines road-diet and enforcement plans

Tallmadge — During the community input portion of the July 24 council meeting, resident Stephanie Schmidt described a near-miss in which a fast-moving vehicle nearly struck her and her two small children at a pedestrian trail crossing on Howe Road.

"If this man did not look in his rearview mirror and honk his horn, my kids would have gotten taken out," Schmidt told council. She asked whether the city could improve lighting or install a blinking red warning at the crossing.

Council members and administration officials responded that the city is tracking speed and traffic with portable speed-monitor signs and that a road-diet plan is in the works for Howe Road. Mayor Mary Kilway and Councilmember Donald Pavlick said the road diet would reduce four travel lanes to three — one lane each way with a center turn lane — and include a pedestrian refuge island at the crossing. The mayor said the project is pending county work before the city can start construction.

Police enforcement and data collection: Council members urged residents to call police to report dangerous driving even when no crash occurs, to build enforcement data. The mayor said the police department has been collecting speed and volume data and will assign enforcement based on the times with the highest number of speeders.

Why it matters: The exchange highlighted community concern about pedestrian safety at a busy crossing used by families to access trails and parks. Administration officials described a combination of engineering changes (road diet, pedestrian island), traffic monitoring, and targeted enforcement as the planned response.

What comes next: Administration said it will continue data collection, proceed with county coordination for the road project, and increase police presence and ticketing at targeted times when data show concentrated speeding.