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Xenia residents press council to act on speeding on Hollywood Boulevard; city orders radar signs, launches pilot
Summary
Dozens of Hollywood Boulevard residents told Xenia City Council they fear for children’s safety after a new development made the street a through route. City Manager Ted Henry said new solar radar signs are on order, police will increase enforcement and council approved a $50,000 traffic‑calming pilot to collect speed data and prescribe measures.
Dozens of residents packed the Oct. 9 Xenia City Council meeting to press officials for action after they say Hollywood Boulevard became a high‑speed through route when it was connected to the Grandstone Trace development.
"Please don't let children's death be the reason for something to change," said Anna Maria Walls, who lives at 393 Hollywood Boulevard and read a neighborhood petition signed by 66 residents asking for stop signs at Hollywood Promenade, Hollywood El Camino and Hollywood & Purcell and a school‑zone/crosswalk sign at the bike path used by St. Brigid's students.
Residents described repeated observations of vehicles traveling well above the 25 mph limit, a near‑miss involving a child on a sidewalk and concerns that the roadway opened before construction finished. Several speakers said they had been told by city staff or engineers that speed bumps were not permitted on that city street and asked the council to explain why.
City Manager Ted Henry responded that the city has increased police presence and has ordered solar radar speed signs for east‑ and westbound approaches, which flash speed and collect data to guide later interventions. "These radar signs are the ones that flash, 'Hey, you're going too fast,'" Henry said, adding that the signs are solar‑powered, track speeds and are expected in three to four weeks.
Henry also told residents the city approved a $50,000 traffic‑calming pilot in the current budget cycle. The pilot will use radar data to evaluate corrective measures, which could include lane‑narrowing paint, pavement markings, and — as a last resort — speed humps after an evaluation of safety, snow‑plow impacts and the requirements in the Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (OMUTCD).
The OMUTCD and related engineering standards govern whether stop signs or other physical controls are appropriate, Henry said, and arbitrary placement can expose the city to liability if it creates an unsafe condition.
Planner Brian, who earlier received a statewide planning award, told council that the city will continue community engagement while staff drafts zoning updates. In response to residents seeking immediate relief, officials said stepped‑up enforcement and the ordered radar signs are the first steps; longer‑term physical changes will follow data collection and engineering review.
Mayor Will Urschel thanked residents for attending and said staff would continue studies before bringing formal recommendations back to council. The meeting recessed for five minutes to allow staff to prepare a more detailed response.
Next steps: the city will install and monitor radar signs, intensify police enforcement in the corridor and use the $50,000 pilot to recommend specific traffic‑calming changes. Council did not vote on a specific street‑treatment during the Oct. 9 meeting.
