Speed Limit Hike on 611 Draws Attention

City council voted down passing an ordinance on an emergency basis in support of an Ohio Department of Transportation study that will raise the speed limit along a stretch of Route 611 from 35 to 45 miles per hour.

The study was done as part of the plan to improve the Route 611 bridge over Interstate 90, which would add sidewalks and bike lanes to both sides of the bridge. 

City engineer Robert Knopf said feasibility of the bridge project is dependent on the speed limit set by ODOT. Route 611 from Moore Road west to the city line would see the speed limit fall to 45 mph from its current 50 mph.

Council members are hoping that a study done by the city can show that, with the increased speed limit on the road between Carleen Avenue and Moore Road, there is a need for a traffic light at the Carleen Avenue intersection.

Liability issues if the city does not follow the ODOT standards were also discussed. Since it's a state road, mayor Jim Smith said, ODOT gets to make the rules. It keeps things from being chaos by having each town have different standards, he said.

In other council news:

• Council passed two ordinances connected with the Feb. 28 flooding that sent raw sewage into the basements of several Avon homes. A 90-day moratorium on new residential development in the area covered by the French Creek Sanitary Sewer District and a revision of construction standards requiring 1/2-horsepower sump pumps for all new construction both passed unanimously. As he has since the flooding, Smith called for heavy fines for builders who do not properly install check valves.