Proposed North Main Street improvements raise concerns, called ‘disaster’ by Akron council member

Ward 2 Council Member Phil Lombardo has actively engaged with local business owners and residents, passing out letters and encouraging public comments at City Council meetings. 

Why?

He thinks the design for the proposed North Main Street improvements is a “disaster.”

The City of Akron is moving closer to the $45 million road reconstruction of North Main Street on the 2-mile stretch from North Howard Street to Olive Street, a key route connecting residents, businesses and commuters in the North Hill neighborhood to downtown Akron and Cuyahoga Falls. 

The design consists of a road diet, which means the current four-lane road will be reduced  to one lane of travel in each direction with a central left-turn lane. The project will also add parking lanes, bike lanes and pedestrian walkways. 

Lombardo’s primary concern, and the main reason he opposes the project, is that the reconstruction, similar to the design completed on Tallmadge Avenue in 2018, will create more congestion at peak times, like morning rush hour, lunch hour and after-school traffic. 

The Tallmadge Avenue project reduced the four-lane road to one lane of travel in each direction with a central left-turn lane and bike lanes. In the years since its completion, commuters have seen heavy traffic congestion, which has been a cause of concern with the proposed North Main Street construction.

A public meeting to discuss the North Main Street improvement project will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, at the North Hill Branch Library, 183 E. Cuyahoga Falls Ave.

In addition to longer drive times, he fears that frustrated drivers may turn to smaller side streets, he said. 

“I told the mayor this — don’t you want people to come to the city and enjoy their experience? I mean, you’re going to get them so frustrated with that traffic that they’ll avoid it,” Lombardo said. 

Cyclist shows support for added bike lanes

Lombardo, a recreational cyclist himself, also criticized the bike lanes, calling them “useless.” He prefers the safety of the Towpath Trail when he is looking to ride — he hooks his bike up to his car and drives to a trailhead.

As someone who lives off Tallmadge Avenue, he said he has seen less than a handful of cyclists using the added bike lanes. 

“This isn’t Sweden,” Lombardo said. “You know, who rides bikes? Norway, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands. I mean, this is what the bike, the Towpath Trail is for.”

He argued that if the city is going to invest in bike lanes, it should also ensure that there are two lanes in each direction for cars in order to maintain traffic flow. 

Not everyone shares Lombardo’s concerns. Stephanie Baker, an avid cyclist and administrative specialist at the University of Akron, is one of the project’s supporters. Baker, a resident of Green, most days drives to Firestone Park and completes her route to downtown Akron by bike — she avoids it on bad weather days. 

She said that it is a “real shame” to live in a car-focused society where people who use other forms of transportation are left out of the conversation.

“It’s really difficult to get around the four lanes of traffic,” Baker said. “I mean, everyone just drives really fast, and there’s no consideration for, I mean, pedestrians and just people not in cars.”

She said that biking allows her to keep exercise in her routine and reduce her carbon footprint. It also puts her in a better mood, she said. 

“I’m biking for pleasure, but there are plenty of people in the city … biking is their sole means of transportation,” Baker said. “They don’t have cars, and bikes are certainly a much more affordable option for anyone.”

Business owners concerned about how construction will affect customers

The project has sparked mixed reactions from local business owners along North Main Street who talked with Signal Akron, some of whom are concerned about the impact the construction will have on their operations.

Thomas Henderson, the owner of TNT Tattoos, hopes the improvements will eventually bring more customers to the neighborhood and more “flow” to the city. 

“I’m hoping that this project just livens up the whole neighborhood, kind of filling these gaps,” Henderson said. 

But he is cautious about the disruption construction might cause, particularly in terms of parking for his clients.

Damien Highfield, the co-owner of Stage Center, a dance store down the road, shares some of the same concerns. He already tells customers to avoid the Tallmadge Avenue route to his store, suggesting they take Cuyahoga Falls Avenue and “double back,” he said, so that they can steer clear of potential congestion. During construction, he’ll have the added layer of helping them navigate road closures.  

“Any time construction’s going to be done, it’s just going to affect our business…” Highfield said.  “I’m trying to not lose my business.”

Russel Neal, the owner of Graffitti Print Shop, which has been located on North Main Street for more than two decades, is more strongly opposed to the project. The former Akron City Council member said it’s not fair to make the local businesses bear the brunt of the project’s cost through their property taxes.  

“It’s the small businesses that give our neighborhood its character, that provide and support what goes on in the community. But yet you’re going to put that burden on us,” Neal said. 

He said the city should focus on more immediate needs, like fixing the sidewalks and repaving the road, rather than implementing a complete redesign that could create more problems.

“You try to quote, unquote, address one problem, and you create a series of other ones,” he said. 

Construction should begin in July

The project is set to begin construction in July, although the ordinance has not yet made its way to City Council to be approved. According to planning documents, during construction there will be at least one lane operating in each direction, as well as continued bus service. 

In addition to the resurfacing of North Main Street — which will create the new traffic pattern, with bike lanes and parking lanes — the changes include:

• An upgraded water main. 
• The removal of traffic signals at East York Street, Frances Avenue and East Mildred Avenue, and the addition of new traffic signals. 
• The addition of four protected pedestrian crossings.
• New trees along the street.  
• New bus stops. 
• The replacement of drive aprons and curb extensions. 
• Improved pedestrian infrastructure to meet ADA regulations.