Jill Dister has a perfect view of the dangers of driving along state Route 18 in eastern Medina County.
As an administrative assistant at Telecom, she can look out the panoramic front windows and see the roadway where it intersects Beach Road. She’s witnessed more than a few bad accidents there.
“People go too fast,” said Dister, who admitted she won’t let her 16-year-old daughter take the wheel in that area. “It’s like a highway speed. People are going 65.”
Everyone seems to agree that the five-mile stretch between Windfall Road and Medina Line Road can be a dangerous area. There have been seven fatal crashes and nine deaths between 2008 and 2015 on the road, which separates Granger and Sharon townships.
But not everyone agrees on how to make it safer.
The Ohio Department of Transportation has proposed installing a guardrail down the middle of the four-lane road, which also features a center turn lane.
In addition to the barrier, ODOT has talked about adding traffic lights and installing U-turn areas at the intersections.
The $5.1 million project calls for construction to begin in 2019.
Businesses unhappy
The plan is facing resistance from many business owners along the busy road, which serves as a major connector between Medina and Akron.
The stretch of Route 18 includes a mix of commercial, industrial and residential property.
There has been tremendous growth along the road since ODOT widened and flattened the roadway during a multiyear project that started in 2005.
A guardrail would prevent left-hand turns, creating an inconvenience for customers and delivery trucks.
The business owners would rather see the speed limit, which is now 55 mph, lowered and an increased law enforcement presence there.
“It’s almost like they don’t really care about small business and that’s what this whole strip is made of,” said Julie Bennett, who owns Bennett’s, a toy store, kennel and retail site for UltraBuilt playsets.
She and Matt Snyder of High & Low Winery will host a meeting of business leaders and property owners at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the winery, 588 Medina Road, to talk about the project.
Agency spokeswoman Joyce Miller acknowledged that some businesses are unhappy but said the state needs to address the safety issue for the 25,000 motorists who travel the road daily.
“We really have a responsibility to improve safety for them,” she said.
Miller added that many people are pleased that ODOT is taking action.
The state agency held a public meeting last week to gather feedback. ODOT is still accepting comments.
“We welcome any comments,” Miller said.
Speeding problems
Speeding appears to be one of the biggest problems.
“Slow the speed down and forget the barrier,” said Tom Sir Louis, owner of the Cabinet Shop.
He’d like to see the speed limit lowered to 45 mph.
Meanwhile, Nancy Carr, who works at Bennett’s, and others said they would like to see more law enforcement.
“This area should be patrolled all the time,” she said.
An ODOT study showed the average speed is 62 mph.
As part of an effort to get people to slow down, ODOT installed four electronic signs this week that show how fast individual vehicles are traveling.
The signs are near Beach Road and the Pinnacle Sports complex.
Whether they are effective remains to be seen.
“Is it going to give you a ticket? No,” said Gay Fuson, a receptionist at the Avalon RV Center. “So what’s the point?”
Others argue that speed isn’t the problem, but rather it’s people not paying attention while they are texting and talking on their phones.
ODOT also plans to install rumble strips on the outsides of the road and in the center turn lane this summer. The strips alert drivers that they are veering off the roadway.
The signs and rumble strips are seen as a temporary solution.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.