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Council approves North Main Street resurfacing, sidewalks and road-diet plan after 11-2 vote
Summary
Akron City Council passed a resolution to improve North Main Street — including resurfacing, curbs, sidewalks, water work and tree planting — over objections about a planned road diet and business impacts; the measure passed 11 to 2.
Akron City Council on an 11-to-2 vote approved a resolution declaring it necessary to improve North Main Street between Martin Luther King Boulevard and the city’s northern corporate limit by resurfacing the roadway, reconstructing curbs and concrete sidewalks, installing driveway approaches, water service connections and water mains, installing roof drain pipes and planting trees, and declared an emergency.
The resolution matters because it authorizes design and construction work on a major corridor and includes a road-diet configuration that several council members and business owners said could increase neighborhood cut-through traffic and harm small businesses. Council members who opposed the measure cited concerns about parking disruption, traffic diversion onto neighborhood streets and the speed at which changes would be implemented.
Councilman Kammer pulled the item from the consent agenda for a committee report; after briefing and debate, the council voted on the resolution. Councilman Garrett told colleagues he had spoken with business owners who “are getting ready to go through” a hardship during construction and said he opposed the plan. The council president conducted a roll call; the votes recorded in the meeting transcript show Garrett and Councilman Lombardo voting no and 11 members voting yes. The resolution passed 11 to 2.
Supporters said the project will address pavement and drainage needs along North Main and noted available federal funding for portions of the work. Opponents urged exploring alternatives to the road diet and said enforcement or increased police presence could address immediate safety concerns without the proposed lane reconfiguration.
The legislation’s text as read on the record describes the scope of work and a declaration of emergency; the council did not adopt a separate amendment on the floor. The transcript does not record a detailed construction timetable or specific contractors; those details were not specified at the meeting.
Council action now allows the city to proceed with the improvement process outlined in the resolution; the transcript does not specify final design approvals, contract award dates or project start dates.
