Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council debates ODOT County Line road-diet plan; action delayed pending scope clarifications
Summary
Councilors, staff and residents debated an ODOT-proposed County Line Street road-diet project including bike lanes, painted shoulders and traffic reconfiguration. Council did not take final action; the ordinance requiring consent remains at second reading.
FOSTORIA — Councilmembers and residents expressed divided views over a proposed Ohio Department of Transportation project to reconfigure County Line Street, with questions about safety, traffic flow and local costs.
The ordinance consenting to enter into contracts with ODOT for the County Line road-diet remained at second reading; council discussion focused on whether to accept ODOT’s current scope, request changes or wait and move the project into a later state fiscal year.
Why it matters: The project would change a four-lane section into a road-diet configuration with a center turn lane and elements originally proposed to include bike lanes. ODOT officials told city staff further scope changes require the city to confirm commitment to the project because of funding and budgeting concerns.
Discussion and public comment: The safety-service director summarized recent outreach with ODOT and said ODOT confirmed the bike lanes could be replaced by a painted shoulder if the city requests it. He said, “According to them, they need a decision by June 2,” and warned that moving the ordinance through three readings at the next regular meeting (June 3) could push work into the next state fiscal year.
Residents and councilmembers raised safety and traffic-flow concerns. Resident Ronald Von Womeneck told council, “I just don't see that happening. I think it's gonna bind up traffic more than it's gonna help it.” Councilmembers pressed technical questions about crash locations and suggested narrower scope options that might target problematic intersections first — for example, the County Line and South Street intersection.
Council members also raised fiscal concerns about potential cost overruns that the city could be responsible for. As councilmember Lehman put it, the city has “enough roads and secondary roads that are completely on us” and should prioritize streets the city fully controls before taking on a project that could require local overages.
No final vote: The ordinance remained at second reading; councilmembers said ODOT is willing to accept input but will require confirmation of the city’s commitment before making additional scope changes. Council discussed holding a special meeting for a third reading or allowing the ordinance to move into the next fiscal year.
Next steps: Council did not adopt the consent ordinance at this meeting. Staff and councilmembers will continue discussions with ODOT about narrowing the project scope, potential intersection improvements (right-turn lanes, four-way stops), timing, and detailed crash data before a final decision.
