MANSFIELD — Mansfield City Council on Tuesday decided to wave a red flag on weekend “cruising” on the so-called “Miracle Mile” section of Park Avenue West.
Legislation that’s been percolating in some form or another for several months was not scheduled for a vote until May 21. Only a second read was planned Tuesday.
But with the majority of council members seemingly in favor, and the weather warming up outside, local lawmakers decided to end the discussion and vote on it Tuesday.
The vote was 6-1 in favor of the ordinance, aimed at limiting repeat vehicle traffic on Friday and Saturday nights between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m. in an area with boundaries of West Fourth Street and Park Avenue West between Home and Trimble roads.
Fifth Ward Councilman Aurelio Diaz cast the only dissenting vote. He also cast the lone vote against eliminating additional readings and moving forward. 4th Ward Councilwoman Cynthia Daley didn’t attend the meeting.
“Miracle Mile is really (a) heated (topic),” Diaz said. “I struggle with not being able to cruise around as long as I’m going the speed limit.”
The ordinance makes it a misdemeanor for someone to drive past a traffic control point more than two times in any two-hour period.
The first violation is be a minor misdemeanor. A second violation within one year of the first is a fourth-degree misdemeanor. Additional violations within a year of the first offense would be third-degree misdemeanors.
Mansfield police Chief Jason Bammann said afterward his officers will give the public time to adjust to the new law before enforcement begins.
“Of course, we’ll give the public a heads up for several weeks in advance that this new law is in place. And then, out on the Mile, if things start getting out of control and we have to enforce this … we will utilize that law,” the chief said.
Bammann, a Mansfield native who was promoted to chief in March, told council members that same month that it’s not the “Miracle Mile” atmosphere it once was.
“When we were out there, (when) my parents were out there, people were truly out there to socialize. This crowd is out there to just wreak havoc. It’s a totally different crowd. We’ve had gun calls out there. We’ve had overdose calls out there. So it’s not the social gathering that it once was,” Bammann said in March.
The chief reiterated the new law will not impact delivery drivers, workers or people who live in the area.
“That’s what the misconception is. A lot of people didn’t read further down through the ordinance,” Bamman said.
“This is for for the individuals that are out there making that same pass back and forth and back and forth and just creating havoc in the area for the residents and people trying to enjoy the businesses.”
Council discussed amending the legislation, perhaps adding if officers noted a different offense, they could then add in the “cruising” penalty.
Safety Service Director Keith Porch, who was the police chief when legislation was discussed in September, said council could do what it chose.
But he clearly believed the ordinance was ready to go as it was written. He described for council last year when motorcyclists driving more than 100 miles per hour were trying to provoke officers to chase them, along with “blatant street races.”
“This law is not a guarantee that it’s going to solve the issues out there. It’s a combination of efforts. It’s a tool law enforcement can use,” he said Tuesday.
One of the other tools Porch said the city will employ will be temporary speed bumps on the Miracle Mile from the end of June until September. The time frame will be from Friday evening until Sunday morning, he said.
“In my time as chief, I received hundreds and hundreds of calls every June with this issue, as I know every council person probably has as well,” Porch said.
“This has been an issue for years. I think that resistance (to the ordinance) is that since 1960, (cruising) has been going on out on Park Avenue West in Mansfield.
“I think opinions start changing when people start dying out there. So it’s only when that happens does that turn up the the temperature for this room,” Porch said.
An Ontario resident riding a motorcycle was killed on a Saturday night in July 2023 in a collision on Park Avenue West. A police report indicated unsafe speed was a contributing factor in the crash. Police estimated the motorcycle was traveling at about 65 miles per hour when it collided with a vehicle, about 30 miles above the limit.
At-large Councilwoman Stephanie Zader said lawmakers “have to trust the people we hire to protect the city.”
“None of our police officers are going to go out of their way to pull people over for cruising up and down the road. They’ve got better things to do with their time,” she said.
“This is a way to give more teeth for them when someone is not following the rules,” Zader said.
Also on Tuesday, City Council gave the first read to a bill that would impose a six-month moratorium on potential recreational cannabis dispensaries in the city. A vote is expected in June, unless council opts to move it forward when it meets May 21.
