SUBMITTING APPLICATION … Pictured are Christina Deehr and Nick Walters of the Maumee Valley Planning Organization (MVPO). Deehr is the regional planner and Walters is the regional planner intern. (PHOTO BY DANIEL COOLEY, STAFF)
By: Daniel Cooley
The Edgerton Village Special Council meeting of February 22 began with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a prayer from Mayor Robert Day and roll call. followed by roll call.
All six council members, Leslie VanAusdale, Sharon Blinzer, Pam Wampler, Tom Karnes, Jason Gruver and Scott Wallace, were present.
Edgerton administrator Dawn Fitzcharles stated that the Maumee Valley Planning Organization (MVPO), which gave a presentation on the Safe Routes to School plan, met with the school board and school leaders in the morning, on February 22.
“The superintendent approved of the plan and the school board was excited about the plan,” Fitzcharles said.
In the Edgerton Village Council meeting in the evening, those from MVPO who were in attendance were regional planner Christina Deehr and regional planning intern Nick Walters.
Those who attended via video were safety engineer Renee Whittenberger and mobility manager Kim Lammers.
The MVPO gave the same proposed plan to the village council. Whittenberger first talked about areas near the school. Along with a plan to construct more sidewalks, there is a plan to install more crosswalks and improve existing crosswalks.
That includes beacons with highly visible crosswalks, putting in a crosswalk at Ash Street, as well as placing shrubs in certain areas in front of the school, so that students can’t just walk through.
There has been a problem with drivers not being able to see pedestrians in certain areas.
Parking improvements would also help, like installing parking where drivers would have to back in, instead of parking at an angle.
Walters discussed a survey they conducted, which showed that as many as 10-15 more students walked or rode bikes than they did in the morning, as opposed to 137 family vehicles being used in the morning and 125 at night. Thirteen used car pools in the morning and 11, at night.
Lammers talked about areas involving encouragement, enforcement and evaluation. In encouragement, the idea was to get more kids to walk and bike. Here, prizes could be awarded for more kids riding bikes.
In enforcement, the boy scouts hold a bike rodeo each year, which demonstrates proper signaling while riding. Also, radar speed signs could be placed within the school zone.
In the final area, evaluation, the plan is to get out more surveys, which would hopefully lead to positive results.
Next, council passed three resolutions, all dealing with the Safe Routes to School.
Resolution 2022-03 dealt with allowing the MVPO to submit an application for funds for the Safe Routes non-infrastructure program to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).
In Resolution 2022-04, this allowed the MVPO to submit an application for funds for the Safe Routes infrastructure program to ODOT.
The third resolution, Resolution 2022-05, authorized the mayor to bring about a pledge of support for a Safe Routes to School travel plan.
Next, council passed Ordinance 1095, providing for a supplement to the annual appropriations for the year 2022.
The next areas of discussion by the MVPO involved the high truck proportion on Michigan Avenue and River Road.
The proposals here involved reducing the two-lane north area of Michigan down to 11 feet, adding a center turn lane and adding a bike lane.
Around the River Road intersection, ideas are to put in a median and placing a beacon there, as well.
Also in proposal is to put in additional parking and changing the parking from an angle to backing in. It was discovered that through backing in, two additional parking spaces became available.
At the railroad crossings, proposed ideas are to add a crosswalk, additional sidewalk and fencing, so that people can only walk where you want them to.
Other ideas are to put in a curve so that cars will have to slow down more and to add a ramp, so that wheelchairs can also cross.
A conservative estimate for these first one to two phases in the Safe Routes to School project is $2.4 million. With the MVPO completed, council then voted to adjourn.
Dan can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com