ONTARIO — Multiple development projects in Ontario, including a new hotel and Ontario Commerce Center, are expected to bring new businesses, visitors and subsequent traffic to town.
Funded largely by an Ohio Department of Transportation grant, the City of Ontario and Richland County Regional Planning Commission have launched a six-month traffic study on the 4th Street Corridor.
The study, led by Gannett Fleming project manager Daniel Jozity, includes 11 intersections from the U.S. 30 exit ramp to North Home Road.
ODOT engineers joined RCRPC and city officials to discuss four years’ worth of crash data beginning in 2018.
The intersections that had the most crashes included S.R. 314, Shelby-Ontario Road and Rock Road.
“Lexington-Springmill Road had a lot of angle and sideswipes also,” Jozity said.
The project manager discussed possibly adding a roundabout to 314, Shelby-Ontario Road and 4th Street at a design meeting Thursday.
As the traffic study is in its beginning stages, the team hasn’t committed to any specific construction projects yet.
“We aren’t at a point to perform detailed alternative cost estimates, and these estimates are very rough,” Jozity said.
“That is a tough intersection, I drive it every day,” Ontario Mayor Randy Hutchinson said. “Years ago, I thought it would be good to realign 314 and straighten it out. Now, you have to stop there and then turn left.
“Maybe if you realign 314, you could tease Shelby-Ontario into the state road.”
Jozity estimated realignment would cost $1.5 – $2.5 million, the cheapest of the estimated options named in Thursday’s meeting. He noted estimates didn’t include right-of-way costs.
The City of Ontario has committed $10,000 to the traffic study, about 90% of the study’s total cost. The remaining cost of the study is funded by federal and state grants.
The regional planning commission has set 2045 as its long-range transportation plan year, so the 4th Street Corridor study has marked that year for traffic projections.
“We hope for a lot of industrial growth there with Charter Next Generation and other industrial developments,” Hutchinson said.
Pong Wu, transportation technical director for Richland County Regional Planning Commission, said undeveloped land on 4th Street holds potential for industrial development.
“Like other corridors, the West 4th Street corridor provides a backbone for regional economic development and economic growth,” Wu said. “We will add traffic study results to the list of the region’s project plan for transportation improvement.”
In a preliminary traffic flow review, Jozity noted Richland Mall and a few gas stations had multiple access points. He said traffic flow could be more efficient if those points only routed traffic one direction.
The preliminary study also proposed adding turn lanes on the Lexington-Springmill Road intersection for operational improvement.
Jozity said traffic study stakeholders will meet at least two more times before finalizing study results and suggestions.
