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Business owners urge council to halt North Main lane reductions, propose alternatives
Summary
Small-business owners and Ward residents urged Akron City Council to reject a plan that would reduce lanes on North Main Street, saying the change would cut customer traffic and worsen congestion; speakers asked the city to consider lower speed limits, better striping, lighting and facade improvements instead.
Business owners and residents urged Akron City Council to halt a plan that would reduce traffic lanes on North Main Street and instead invest in traffic calming and infrastructure improvements.
Scott Vallejos, owner of Laundry Time on North Main Street, said the city should keep four travel lanes and lower the speed limit to 25 mph rather than narrowing the road. “How about reducing the speed limit down to, 25 miles an hour and keep 4 lanes?” Vallejos said during the council’s public comment period. He told the council that small businesses depend on passing traffic and asked officials to “repaint lanes, eliminate the accidents” and invest in underground infrastructure, sidewalks, better lighting and removal of blighted buildings.
The comments were echoed by longtime business owner George Theodore, who said a recent neighborhood meeting at the Polish American Club showed broad opposition. “We had approximately 80 people there. There were a dozen people that were in favor. The rest of the people were not in favor of this plan,” Theodore said. He said many businesses already have parking lots and that striping and clearer signage could address parking concerns without reducing lanes.
Why it matters: Council members and residents described North Main as a major commercial corridor whose traffic patterns affect store visibility and customer access. Multiple speakers framed the lane-reduction proposal as a potential threat to foot traffic and small-business revenue while saying narrower lanes would increase congestion at key intersections.
Details and context: Vallejos told the council that small businesses generate a large share of employment and argued that the city should prioritize reinvestment that “produce stable long term jobs.” Theodore said the corridor stretches from the Y Bridge to the High Level Bridge and described existing turn-lane and parking patterns that he said make blanket lane reductions unnecessary. Both speakers asked the council to consider alternative approaches already used on nearby corridors, including reduced speed limits and re-striping.
Council response: Councilman Anthony Lombardo later thanked constituents for attending and encouraged review of the project materials on display in the council chambers, saying the proposal "is big for Ward 2. So it deserves your consideration and looking at the facts and making your decisions from there." The council did not take a vote on the North Main concept during the meeting; several related agenda items later mentioned land use or infrastructure but were either referred or placed on the consent agenda for future action.
What’s next: Speakers asked the council to reconsider the lane-reduction plan and to pursue alternatives—speed-limit changes, better striping, lighting and property cleanup—before any lane changes move forward.
