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Commissioners press staff on limited evacuation-route options after MPO denial
Summary
Vice Mayor Langdon asked staff about feasibility of extending Toledo Blade/Route 72 as an evacuation corridor; Public Works staff said the MPO denied the feasibility study and options are limited by sensitive, county-controlled lands, though the new Yorkshire interchange may relieve pressure on main routes.
At the May 4 workshop, Vice Mayor Langdon asked whether the city could pursue an independent option to extend Toledo Blade to Clark Road (Route 72) after the Metropolitan Planning Organization denied the city's feasibility study request.
Public Works Director Chuck Speak told the commission that the area north of the city is largely sensitive land that the city does not own and that the county controls many of the parcels, limiting the city's options. "Our options are pretty much extremely limited at this time," Speak said, noting he had pursued multiple routes and had been turned down because of the sensitive lands and jurisdictional constraints.
Langdon asked whether the new interchange at Yorkshire could provide relief by improving access to I-75; Speak said the interchange would help ease pressure on Kings Highway and create additional access to 75 for parts of the city but did not present an immediate alternative that bypasses the denied MPO study.
No formal policy or funding decision was made; staff said they will continue to pursue connections inside the city and track long-term projects that could improve evacuation access.
