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Residents urge council to halt Shakertown Road widening, dispute traffic data and object to 10-foot path
Summary
Dozens of Shakertown Road homeowners pressed council to halt an ODOT-funded widening project, saying traffic counts and accident data cited for grant approval are inaccurate, tree loss is excessive, and a proposed 10-foot shared-use path and permanent maintenance obligations are unfair to homeowners.
Beaver Creek — Dozens of residents from Shakertown Road and adjacent streets packed the council chamber to urge the city to pause or cancel a proposed Shakertown Road widening (project ID 11964), registering strong opposition to a 10-foot shared-use path, property take impacts and the project’s justification.
Heather Harvey, who led a string of residents speaking for neighbors, said recent traffic counts contradict the numbers used to secure grant funding and argued the road’s vehicle counts have fallen substantially over the past decade. “Traffic on this road has been cut in half over the past decade,” Harvey told council, citing regional counts and asking officials who verified engineers’ figures.
Speakers described potential consequences should the project proceed: removal of more than 100 trees and landscape buffers, loss of driveway length or portions of private yards, a permanent shared-path obligation (residents said they were told homeowners would maintain sidewalks and pathways), and a higher risk of speeding once a center turn lane is added. Several residents said they received letters from an appraisal firm seeking interior access to homes during right-of-way discussions and characterized that as intrusive.
“Adding a center turn lane will remove that safety barrier and allow people to speed more,” Harvey said. “This project is forcing people out of their homes.” Other speakers — including long-term residents who noted decades of occupancy — argued Shakertown’s traffic volumes and collision history do not justify the proposed scope and urged council to reallocate funds.
Council did not act on the Shakertown Road project during this meeting; many comments were recorded under citizen comment and will be part of the public record. Council members acknowledged the volume of testimony and said staff and engineering need to ensure procedural outreach and data reporting align with ODOT and MVRPC requirements.
Next steps: Residents asked the council to halt the project and provide written assurances about maintenance responsibility and right-of-way procedures. The council and staff agreed to take resident concerns back to the engineering department and to ODOT and MVRPC as appropriate.
