Several residents urged the city to review a short stretch of 40-mph roadway near the Lorain County line where they said street-legal golf carts and electric bikes are regularly traveling and must navigate multiple crossings.
At the council meeting, Mr. Webbing, a resident, said the posted speed limit shifts from 35 mph to 40 mph at the county line and that his detours to avoid a 40-mph section force him to cross four lanes multiple times. He said, “it’s more dangerous to me, I think, than good” and proposed changing the municipal boundary of the 40-mph zone or otherwise shortening it by about a half-mile.
Mr. Burgess, another resident who addressed the council, said the public process does not currently allow for follow-up and referenced a previously mentioned $10,000 traffic-capacity study by O’Donnell to look at the issue. He said this was his “third time” bringing the subject to council and urged clearer follow-up steps.
Council members responded by agreeing to add the Liberty/Salem speed-limit and golf-cart safety topic to the next Streets, Buildings & Grounds committee meeting so the city engineer and staff can prepare information and discuss possible remedies. Council did not alter speed limits at the meeting; no ordinance change was proposed or adopted.
City staff previously told a resident that municipalities control speed limits within their boundaries; the resident reported he had spoken with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and was advised to pursue municipal action. The item will be considered at committee for further data and staff recommendations.