Road Diet Scheduled for Two of Akron's Most Dangerous Streets

"Too many lanes and too many accidents are prompting changes to two major roadways in the city," reports Tiffany Tarpley.

"In 2016, a safety upgrade is planned for Cedar and Exchange streets (which are one-way pairs) along a stretch between Portage Path and Broadway." The city is pitching the $8.5 million project as a safety upgrade—585 crashes have occurred on the corridors in the past three years, more than half of which are the "side-swipe" passing common on roads with too many lanes.

A few of the details of the project, according to Tarpley's coverage, include "'right-sizing' the number of through lanes to two, adding bike lanes and street parking." In addition the "project will also mean upgrading 21 intersections with new LED traffic control signals that will be interconnected through the area, which [Mike] Teodecki [of Akron's Bureau of Engineering] says will allow traffic to flow more efficiently."