The study showed that between 2021 and 2023, there were 57 accidents at Ohio 63 and Main Street, 29 at Britton Lane, 19 at Lawton Avenue and three at East Avenue, Paul Goodhue, consultant city engineer, said.
He said 25% of the accidents caused injury, 10% involved semi-trucks and 58% were rear-end, non-injury accidents.
There was a double fatal crash at Ohio 63 and Main Street in May 2021, and that seemed to trigger safety concerns along Ohio 63. The city has already conducted a speed study, crash analysis and signal modifications to the left turn movements on Ohio 63 at the Main Street intersection.
Some of the short-term countermeasures to reduce accidents included adding backplates to signal heads and supplemental heads on Ohio 63 approaches, installing signal ahead warning signs, evaluating the signal corridor timing and refreshing the pavement markings,
Besides those, Britton Lane improvements would include installing high-visibility crosswalk markings and clearing vegetation at the intersection. Right-turn on red would be eliminated at Main Street, according to the study.
Public Works Director Gary Morton said $100,000 has been earmarked in the 2025 street improvement budget for safety measures.
The medium-term countermeasures include extending eastbound and westbound right turn lanes at Main Street, installing eastbound and westbound right turn lanes at Britton Lane and revising design of westbound left turn lane, including overhead mast arm signage at East Avenue.
Three alternatives are proposed as long-term plans that may take 20 years or so to complete if approved by council, Goodhue said.
One plan called for a quadrant roadway ($21 million), traditional intersection improvements ($12 million) and partial continuous flow intersection (CFI) ($22 million).
Mayor Keith Funk and Vice Mayor Christine McElfresh, the most vocal council members Tuesday night, said they favored the CFI that is a similar configuration to Austin Boulevard at Springboro Pike in Miami Twp.
Funk said he “sees it work” in other communities and McElfresh said the city needs to consider motorists’ “safety over cost.”
McElfresh has said with Monroe’s growing population — from 7,133 in 2000 to 15,412 in 2020, according to the latest census — the city needs to find a solution because traffic issues will only multiply.
Council didn’t vote on any of the recommendations, though it appears some short-term measures will be implemented this year.
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