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Council weighs ODOT Reading Road proposal after survey shows strong opposition
Summary
Council reviewed an ODOT Reading Road survey with 375 responses showing strong opposition; members debated traffic-calming options and agreed to request more time from ODOT before the July 13 decision deadline.
Reading City Council reviewed Ohio Department of Transportation survey results for a proposed Reading Road "road diet" and heard competing views from residents and council members about whether the design would improve safety or worsen congestion. Councilmember Katie Eadicicco told the meeting the survey returned 375 responses and reported, "68.5% strongly oppose the proposal," with an additional 9.19% opposing and 7.09% supporting the plan.
Resident Bob Wimmers urged Council to treat Reading Road as two distinct segments and recommended installing speed bumps on the section he identified as prone to speeding. Wimmers said the two segments have different traffic patterns and "ODOT's proposed solution would not work effectively because the two sections of Reading Road operate so differently." Councilmember Bob Boehner and several residents said public comment and about 35–40 emails they received were largely opposed; Boehner referenced a survey figure, saying 66.3% believed the diet would make traffic "much worse."
Council members discussed tradeoffs: Andy Bronner noted temporary lane closures had not produced severe backups and argued some concerns are based on misinformation, while Mayor Bo Bemmes relayed a commuter's report that left-turn queuing drives much of the congestion and that the proposed design's dedicated left-turn lanes could help. Eadicicco said the city would request more time from ODOT to consider the matter before a July 13 deadline so Council can review the survey and hold additional discussion. No formal vote was taken at the meeting.
