The City of Lima, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), is working to make travel safer and easier on Cable Road.  The section of Cable Road from Latham Avenue to College Park West experienced 156 crashes from 2017 to 2021 with 28% resulting in injuries. A leading contributor to the crashes is the total number of driveways along the corridor. Access management safety countermeasures were implemented as part of the project which either eliminated or relocated several driveways along the corridor. Additionally, the lack of sidewalks along this commercial corridor is also a concern for pedestrian travel. Safe pedestrian access is especially important for persons with disabilities, low income, and older adult populations.

To address these concerns, the City of Lima performed a traffic safety study that identified alternative solutions that would improve pedestrian safety and sidewalk connectivity and reduce overall vehicle crashes in the corridor.  The Safety Study recommended the following improvements to Cable Road. These proposed countermeasures have been proven by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to calm traffic and reduce crashes. 

• Latham Avenue to Windsor Drive:  Install a center median. This would maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction and install a signalized U-turn at the Latham Avenue and Windsor Drive intersections. Raised concrete medians are a proven countermeasure to reduce crashes making turns across the median.
• Windsor Drive to College Park West: Install a road diet (reduce the number of lanes) with one lane of traffic in each direction and a center two-way left turn lane.
• Sidewalks: Install along Cable Road from Latham Avenue to College Park West.

The City of Lima presented and requested public feedback on the recommended improvements during an in-person and virtual public meeting (held March 21^st through April 21^st, 2024). Over 160 comments were received.  Many comments expressed the following concerns.

• The proposed road diet would worsen traffic congestion related to the railroad crossing to the north of the project area.
• The reduction in travel lanes would impair the traffic flow along the corridor and cause more congestion and frustration from drivers.
• The proposed center median will negatively affect the businesses along the corridor.

As a result of the public feedback, Lima City officials conducted a new analysis to consider improvements to the proposed design. The proposed improvements have been modified as follows.

• Latham Avenue to Windsor Drive:  The proposed center median (with a signalized U-turn at each end) remains the optimal alternative for addressing the high number of crashes, for it will eliminate cross-traffic issues. 
• Windsor Drive to College Park West: The City has modified the proposed road diet to include two northbound lanes, one center two-way left turn lane, and one southbound lane.
• Sidewalks: Sidewalks on the west side of Cable Road will be constructed from Latham Avenue to College Park West.  Sidewalks on the east side will be constructed from Latham Avenue to the mid-block pedestrian crossing near the UNOH Indoor Athletic Complex.

See the Alternates Tab for additional information supporting the proposed changes.