Infrastructure work began last month on parts of North Main Street and Wayne Avenue that is expected to be completed in September.
The city is paving North Main Street from Great Miami Boulevard to Shoup Mill Road. Great Miami Boulevard is just north of Interstate 75 and downtown, while Shoup Mill Road is outside of city limits to the north.
Part of North Main Street, between Ridge and Fairview avenues, was closed down on Tuesday afternoon as crews installed new pavement.
Road closures have taken place at times this week and last week to allow for asphalt milling and paving activities.
The city is reducing the number of travel lanes on North Main from two in each direction to one, plus a new center left turn lane is going in. The road diet also is creating a new parking lane on a one-mile section of the roadway from Great Miami Boulevard to Norman Avenue.
The city is installing new bump-outs, some of which will help create the parking lane, and four new concrete medians are being constructed to help pedestrians cross the street.
Escobar said the city hopes the road diet and infrastructure improvements will slow traffic and make pedestrian crossings easier and safer.
Some community members have posted messages on social media criticizing the North Main Street parking lane and bump-outs. They say the changes are confusing and they’ve seen motorists nearly hit the curb or bump-outs. Orange traffic cones have been temporarily placed on many bump-outs and curbs.
Victor Patrick, who lives near North Main Street, said the road diet has caused a traffic “mess” and some motorists are using side streets to avoid congestion along the corridor.
“It was already stacked enough,” he said during a city commission meeting in April. “And now we’re cutting it down to one lane.”
Escobar says motorists will better understand how to properly navigate North Main once the entire street is paved and pavement markings are put in.
Wayne Avenue
The city also is giving part of Wayne Avenue a road diet, from East Fifth Street to U.S. 35. Some of traffic lanes have been shut down recently during the infrastructure work.
New bump-outs, pavement markings, curb and decorative lights are being installed or constructed.
“More than anything, (this project) is defining the parking in the Oregon District,” Escobar said during a recent interview. “We’ve got some good business development that’s coming on board.”
This quarter mile stretch of Wayne Avenue had two lanes in each direction, and parking on the street was already permitted in the curbside lanes.
But the parking lanes also were driving lanes, and Escobar said there have been some rear-end crashes involving cars that were parked on the street.
This project will define the parking areas, creating about 30 permanent on-street spaces that will serve the Oregon District and businesses along Wayne Avenue like Dublin Pub, Belle of Dayton, Columbia Care marijuana dispensary, the Dayton Theatre Guild, Easterling Studios and Wheat Penny.
Payment markings will show the bump-outs, and signs will show the parking areas.
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