Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident warns ODOT Route 23 'connect' plan could put 16,000 cars a day onto Stratford Road
Summary
Roger Plummer of Stratford Road told the commissioners a sheriff's study showed about 3,000 cars per day on his section of Stratford Road and that ODOT's Route 23 connect plans could increase traffic to an estimated 16,000 cars per day by routing vehicles onto side streets, raising concerns about noise, speed, historic homes and potential eminent domain.
Roger Plummer, a Stratford Road resident, used the public‑comment period at the March 23 Delaware County commissioners meeting to press county leaders about the Ohio Department of Transportation's Route 23 connect plan and its local impacts.
"My name is Roger Plummer. I live at 2505 Stratford Road," Plummer told the board. He said a sheriff's office traffic study found his stretch of Stratford Road averages about 3,000 vehicles a day and that ODOT estimates the Route 23 plan could push traffic onto side streets, increasing volumes to about 16,000 vehicles per day. "There's just no way Stratford Road's gonna handle that kind of volume," he said, and he warned that many homes on the road are historic and cannot be widened.
Plummer said residents also fear ODOT may use eminent domain to acquire property. Commissioners responded that Route 23 is a state project and that ODOT and the City of Delaware have jurisdiction in many segments; they encouraged residents to contact ODOT and the city and attend public ODOT meetings. One commissioner noted the county supports relieving congestion on Route 23 but cannot substitute for the state in a state project.
Why it matters: If traffic were redirected onto local side streets at the scale Plummer described, it could significantly change neighborhood road use, noise levels and demand for improvements, but commissioners and staff stressed that final decisions and funding are controlled by ODOT and that project prioritization depends on state funding and timelines.
Next steps: Commissioners advised residents to engage with ODOT public meetings and city officials. Plummer said residents have attended public input meetings and notified township trustees and local representatives about concerns.
