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Pedestrian safety gets boost in Summit Lake neighborhood
Pedestrian safety in the Summit Lake neighborhood will get some extra attention with the approval of a $40,000 grant Thursday.
Transportation officials with the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study awarded one of two $40,000 Connecting Communities Planning grants to the City of Akron. The other grant went to New Franklin Township, south of Akron, for a “corridor development” study for state Route 619.
“New Franklin officials stated in their grant application and AMATS agreed that a study of the state Route 619 corridor, between South Main and State streets, is needed, especially as a new residential development is planned near the state Route 619 and Point Comfort Drive intersection,” AMATS Mobility Planner Heather Davis Reidl said.
Eight communities across the region applied for the grant. The Akron and New Franklin projects were scored the highest by AMATS staff.
The AMATS policy committee voted Thursday to approve the grants according to an AMATS press release.
Summit lake improvements drive need for safety measures
Akron planners, in their application, identified a need to increase safety in Summit Lake following “new amenities and increased investment drawing users to the area.”
In September, the Ohio and Erie Canal Summit Lake trail opened. This path provides an almost three-mile-long trail around the lake that connects to the Towpath Trail. Lakeside amenities such as benches, swingsand picnic tables have also been added.
Additionally, Akron City Council recently approved a series of ordinances to support a rezoning plan for the neighborhood. These changes are part of the Summit Lake Community Land Use Plan that began in 2020.
Planners said they will identify “a framework for integration and development of complete streets principles to be utilized as the neighborhood grows.” They expect to recommend bike lanes, boulevards, improved crosswalks, on-street parking and speed tables in the area.
Complete streets principles, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, focuses on safety and mobility for all users regardless of age or ability. This includes drivers, public transit users, pedestrians and cyclicts. Using these principles, planners work to keep all users in mind when design, approving and implementing projects.
Akron misses out on $15.2 million in federal road improvement funds
AMATS Policy Committee members also approved $15.2 million Thursday to fund three projects in Kent, Coventry Township and Cuyahoga Falls. Area municipalities submitted 26 proposals with requests totaling $85.6 million.
AMATS planners ranked Akron’s project 8th and did not recommend funding. The city requested $8.2 million for improvements on West Exchange Street from Mull Avenue to South Portage Path.
The work would have included roadway improvements, new curbs and sidewalks, and partial bike lanes. It’s unclear how the city will now fund the project.
One of the approved projects submitted by Summit County is in Coventry Township south of Akron and abuts Firestone Metro Park.
The $7 million project will improve South Main Street from Portage Lakes Drive to North Turkeyfoot Road. Roadway improvements and nearly a mile of new sidewalks are part of the plan.
The funding comes from the Federal Highway Administration’s Surface Transportation Block Grant program.
AMATS began a comprehensive review of proposals last September. Funding for the projects begins now and runs through 2029, according to an AMATS press release.
