MEDINA, Ohio – For many months, increasing safety for pedestrians has been a priority for city officials following a number of accidents involving both pedestrians and motorists in Medina’s historic district.
Later this month, the city plans to apply for a grant through the Ohio Department of Transportation that will help fund the construction of pedestrian bump outs at multiple intersections near the square.
“There are specific corners around the square where there is not right-hand movement of vehicles such as the south side of Liberty and Court,” City Engineer Patrick Patton said. “The bump out is basically a curbed area that is an extension of the sidewalk where pedestrians can queue up while preparing to cross the street. This shortens the length that the pedestrian is off the sidewalk and exposed in the crosswalk and also improves visibility. The plan would be to have two at that intersection and then two more on the north side of Washington and Court and the same on the other side of Broadway.”
Patton said the city recently learned that ODOT has earmarked funds for safety enhancing projects such as the construction of these bump outs and the city was encouraged to apply for some of the funds.
“The way the applications works, the grant, if awarded would pay for 90 percent of the construction cost of the bump outs,” Patton said.
Patton said the city does not yet have an estimate on the cost of construction but said he will have those numbers before council votes on moving forward with the grant application.
