Street projects underway to make Lorain’s pedestrian traffic safer

LORAIN, Ohio (WOIO) - City projects aimed at improving pedestrian safety are underway, including new crosswalk signs along Broadway Avenue.

Heather Doskacil, co-owner of the Over the Moon artisan market can see the construction from her business, and can already think of the people who will benefit from the improvements.

“We have a few customers that use wheelchairs that come down and visit our store,” she said. “Especially when the [Charles Berry] bridge is up and the bridge is out, we get a lot of traffic downtown.”

Several intersections on Broadway, including W. 4th Street, will soon have rapid flashing beacons, which will alert drivers when pedestrians are ready to cross.

Doskacil said the improvements would be appreciated, especially on the W. 4th corner.

“It’s kind of hard to see someone standing there with how the Broadway sign is,” she said.

The changes to Broadway are part of a larger project across Lorain to improve pedestrian safety.

The city’s engineering department told 19 News the works fall under the Ohio Department of Transportation’s pedestrian section of their safety improvement plan, which includes new sidewalk constructions, sidewalk fill-ins and ADA-compliant ramps.

While Philip Kimbrough is in favor of the improvements, he would want to see them make their way to other parts of the city, such as near God’s Kingdom Church on Washington Avenue.

“Downtown, they’re going to make that beautiful anyway,” he said, “but what about these odd streets?”

To be fair, Gwen Frey with the Lorain Engineering Department says the city is limited on what they can improve, as the currently-slated improvements come through specific ODOT grants.

“We can’t do that anywhere and everywhere because that would be using public funds for private improvements,” she said.

The Broadway crossing could be done as early as in 3 weeks; it’s a time frame Doskacil is more than ready to wait for.

“I think as long as it’s an improvement, I think it’s going to be great,” she said.