‘Road diet’ proposed for busy area roadway to reduce deadly, injury crashes

DAYTON — A Montgomery County community wants to put part of a busy street on a “road diet.”

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If this project is approved, that means the number of lanes will go from seven to five on Keowee Street between East 5th Street and East Monument Avenue.

The City of Dayton said over 2,700 vehicles travel this section of Keowee daily.

One woman said during rush hours in the early morning and late afternoon to early evening, this roadway is packed with cars.

She doesn’t think reducing lanes will help.

“A road diet over here doesn’t seem like much of a good idea,” she said.

In part of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s 2020 Highway Safety Improvement Program, crash data shows that between 2016 and 2020, there were over 230 crashes, 81 of which resulted in death.

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The woman News Center 7′s Taylor Robertson spoke to has worked on Keowee Street for four years now, but she wishes to remain anonymous.

She said she has seen multiple car crashes happen right outside her office.

“The last one we saw was between a semi and someone going on the third lane over there and so it was actually very dramatic,” she said.

She can also hear the crashes when they happen.

“I do think it’s an issue with this road because it is a main thoroughfare that people will use so you know, definitely making it safe for everybody to use would definitely be the most important thing,” she said.

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The project will reduce the width of Keowee, remove the existing curb lane, and replace it with a new curb, tree lawn, walk, and catch basin.

The city hopes this project will help improve the sight distance for several left turn lanes.

“This light here at 5th and Keowee doesn’t even have a left turn signal so you’re at the mercy of whoever’s coming,” she said.

On Wednesday, the Dayton City Commission is expected to read an ordinance that will accept a $2 million grant from ODOT for the project.

Construction should start in 2026 and last about a year.

News Center 7′s Taylor Robertson reached out to the city to ask why they thought this would make this street safer, but they did not answer in time.

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