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Neighbors urge Dayton to include critical section of Wayne Avenue in March funding application and to install temporary safety measures
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Summary
Residents and the Wayne Avenue Traffic Safety Coalition urged the commission to include the section north of Kiwi Street in the March ODOT safety funding application, to install temporary pedestrian measures immediately, and to commit to a public construction start date to avoid missing grant cycles.
Representatives of the Wayne Avenue Traffic Safety Coalition told the city commission Feb. 4 that a multi‑year safety planning process is at risk of further delay and urged immediate action.
Willie Morris, president of the coalition, told commissioners the group has worked two and a half years with city engineers and community members on a safety study. He said administrative delays and shrinking project scope have stalled implementation and that the coalition is now facing a fast‑approaching March deadline for safety funding through ODOT. "We watched the August 2025 funding cycle slip by…Now we are being told that the critical section North Of Kiwi, will be excluded to avoid conflicting with a Revive 35 study," Morris said, warning that the Revive 35 planning effort could take years and push the safety project out of reach.
Laura Estandia, speaking on behalf of the coalition, highlighted a $2 million federal planning grant the city received for the Reconnecting Communities (Revive 35) effort and urged the commission not to allow that planning money to prevent applying for implementation funding now. "It could be years before the recommendations out of the reimagined 35 process are published," she said, and asked the commission to "include the lane reduction north of Kiwi Street in the final design" for the March application and to fund temporary measures now.
City Manager Miss Dickstein acknowledged receipt of the coalition’s email and letter and said staff would dig in and provide a detailed briefing to commissioners and neighborhood leaders on the issues and recommendations.
The coalition asked for three actions: submit the full plan to public works for the March application, implement temporary measures (including a Park Drive crossing and speed monitoring) regardless of school construction, and provide a clear public construction start date. Commissioners thanked the coalition and requested staff follow‑up.
