The following recent response from Brian Ball partially answers some of the questions dating back to my February 2, 2020 request for answers about traffic safety issues in residential areas around Mt Vernon. However, his response opened up even more question regarding his decision to table many of these same issues that we have been asking for answers on for three years.

From: Dennis Swingle [mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2020 6:25 PM
To: 'Brian Ball'
Cc: 'Matt Starr'; 'This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.'; 'This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.'; 'This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.'; 'Bruce Hawkins'; 'This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.'; 'This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.'; 'This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.'; 'This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.'; 'This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.'; 'city-seavolt, janis'; 'Robert Broeren'
Subject: RE: City Council Presentation 11/25/19

Mr. Brian Ball

Thanks for your response to my March, 11th 2020 email. Your email does bring up a couple of questions.

1.)You provided me with data on various traffic counts and speed data that took place over several years, not just 2018. Is the data you provided me for years other than 2018 suspect as well and do you have an estimate of the magnitude of the calibration error? In other words what percentage are the readings in error? 

2.) Seeing how you agree that there are issues on Edgewood and unless you have changed your position on speed humps, what ideas would you suggest other than making the street more attractive to increase traffic?

3.) We do not support further study of what you call traffic calming devices as they were presented. Widening the street, adding curbs, sidewalks, trees and removing stop signs would turn Edgewood Rd. into a thorough fare and only entice more traffic. What we are asking for is traffic control of speed, stopping for stop signs and enforcing traffic laws that prohibit semi-trucks and commercial traffic on residential streets (a police presence and enforcement of speed and traffic laws are preferred, but speed humps are a viable alternative).

4.)   No one person should be in a position to dictate or "halt" how the city addresses important issues like traffic safety and neighborhood development. That includes myself concerning the use of calming effects on Edgewood Road or a council person who simply relates a conversation he had with a property owner concerning the potential sale of that property for a connector between State Route 229 and Coshocton Road. Rather, elected leaders should make unbiased, reasoned  and collective judgments concerning those issues.

5.) Regarding the 4 traffic accidents on Edgewood Rd. within the last 12 months, would you please forward to me information regarding the date, time and location of each and any other related information.

A significant portion of your response addressed the replacement or improvement of utilities on Edgewood Road. While important in their own right, those matters are completely separate and apart from the issues of public safety as it relates to enforcement of existing traffic laws adopted for that purpose, both now and in the future. That is especially true in light of your statement that the city is "not actively working on plans  or designs for Edgewood Road  or adjacent areas."

Since the safety problem has been and still is at issue I will be requesting help with these serious issues with the Safety Service Director. Thanks again for your response.

Dennis Swingle

1101 E Chestnut St

Mt Vernon

From: Brian Ball [mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
Sent: Monday, July 6, 2020 9:53 AM
To: Dennis Swingle
Subject: Re: City Council Presentation 11/25/19

Mr. Dennis Swingle

1.   Legitimate complaint:

The City is working on a citywide analysis of traffic accidents to help prioritize city & grant funds.

We will plan to take additional traffic counts this summer.

After reviewing the manufacturer's recommendations our speed counter may be out of calibration on our traffic counters. We are looking into how to do the calibration. There is a strong possibility that the speed data you received in 2018 may not have been accurate.

2.   Again the City is working on a citywide analysis of traffic accidents.

3.   Speed Humps: 

The City offered to have a consultant with traffic calming experience develop an alternative for review. You protested this action, so in short no action is being taken at this time. If you would like for the City to restart this effort that was halted at your request in 2018; please let us know in writing.

4./5.      See #3

At your request the City has revisited the SR229 to Upper Gilchrist project.  Please see attached drawings.  This effort was halted at the request of Mr. Mike Hillier.

 The Engineering Department in a partnership with the Police Department has developed a citywide crash map.  This map will help the City Administration and City Council make risk informed decisions. We will be developing a master plan and investigations in locations with injury accidents and fatalities over the next three years.

 After reviewing our citywide crash map there have been four crashes on Edgewood Road in the past 12 months. Two of those required a formal report and two were minor enough to just exchange information, there were no injuries reported in any of these incidents. This is the time frame since we added the “Opposing Traffic Does Not Stop” and stop sign post reflectors. PD has ordered additional new speed detector signs. Edgewood Road will be a regular location for these signs.  We will be rotating these signs around town so the traveling public does not get complacent with these speed signs. We are working with GPS companies to better inform GPS users as to proper routing in our City.

We are also working on citywide condition assessments of water, sanitary, and stormwater systems. The nearly complete evaluation of the water system shows that the Edgewood Road water lines have exceeded their useful life and need to be replaced. We have not completed the citywide condition assessments of sanitary or stormwater, however, we have observed the stormwater system on Edgewood Road to be in failure.

Since the City will likely need to completely replace most or all the utilities on Edgewood Road, at that time the road could be reshaped to improve this neighborhood. We are receiving daily requests about stormwater issues and infrastructure issues. At this point due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) we do not believe it is a prudent idea to have a face to face meeting. We could have a phone conversation about Edgewood Road.  

Again, at your repeated request we are not actively working on plans or designs for Edgewood Road or adjacent areas.

Thank you, 

Brian Ball, P.E.

City Engineer

40 Public Square, Mount  Vernon, OH 43050

 Phone: (740) 393-9528 Visit us at: https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mountvernonohio.org&source=gmail&ust=1595031422700000&usg=AFQjCNEpYQu1tvY1tS5EDu3nhvxKVyGXoA">www.mountvernonohio.org

On Tue, Mar 10, 2020 at 8:17 PM Dennis Swingle <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.> wrote:

                                                                        March 11, 2020                                                                      

Dear Mr. Ball:

On February 2, I responded to an email you had sent me about various long standing safety concerns on Edgewood Road and the surrounding neighborhoods which I raised before city council on November 25, 2019.  I expressed gratitude for your interest in, and indicated a desire to work cooperatively with your office to attempt to resolve, those safety concerns. To that end, I requested that you clarify certain statements contained in your email to try and make future discussions on this important issue more productive.  The next day, February 3, you sent me an email stating that you would have Judy Ashcraft from your office contact me to schedule a meeting.  Since then, I have not heard anything further from you or your office.  I have not received any clarification of your comments, and a meeting has not been discussed, much less scheduled.

In an effort to move this matter forward as quickly as possible, I believe it is appropriate to ask:

           

  • Do you acknowledge that residents have a legitimate complaint about traffic speeding on Edgewood Road and in the surrounding neighborhoods?
  • Do you acknowledge that prohibited traffic, “through” commercial trucks/semis, ignoring traffic laws and using Edgewood Road and surrounding neighborhood streets illegally to  travel between Coshocton Road (US 36) and Gambier Road (SR 229) is wrong and constitutes a safety concern for residents in the area?  If so, what do you and the administration plan to do to stop/minimize it?  If not, why not?
  • Mayor Matt Starr, last year while serving on city council, conducted a simple, inexpensive, yet extremely effective and telling traffic study (local students actually drove the routes) which established that the drive time from, I believe, the south side of Mount Vernon to a specified point on Coshocton Road, whether through town or accessing Edgewood Road, was virtually the same when traffic laws and regulations were observed.  As I stated in my email of February 2, traffic on Edgewood Road and through the surrounding neighborhoods can be reduced by making those residential streets less attractive to cars and semi-trucks that, in an effort to save time, break the law (a police presence and enforcement of speed and prohibited traffic laws are preferred, speed bumps are a viable alternative).  What, if anything, has been or is being done in this regard?
  • Is the SR 229 connector/bypass incorporating round-abouts published in the Mount Vernon News in the fall of 2019, or any modification thereof, currently being considered by your office and/or the administration to facilitate travel between Coshocton Road (US 36) and Gambier Road (SR 229)?  If yes, what is being done?  If not, why not?
  • Is your office and/or the administration considering or pursuing the widening of Edgewood Road north of SR 229?  If yes, what has or is being done?
  • Is your office and/or the administration considering or pursuing the extension of Edgewood Road north of SR 229 to Coshocton Road (US 36)?  If yes, what has or is being done?

Answers to these questions, as well as those raised in my February 2 email, are pertinent to and would be extremely helpful to me when preparing for any discussion with you concerning Edgewood Road.  More importantly, in the name of transparency, the public has a right to know.  I look forward to your response, as well as the scheduling of a meeting, at your earliest convenience.

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                        Dennis Swingle

cc: Mayor Starr, Safety Service Director Dzik, Police Chief Morgan , Law Director Broeren and City Council