Wayne County commissioners eye buggy, bike lanes for safer roads

Nate Pawalie
·2 min read

Wayne County Board of Commissioners February meetings

KEY ACTION Amended a funding resolution to up the cost for a project that would add buggy lanes on either side of Kidron Road in Wayne County and bike lanes in Apple Creek.

State money for Rails to Trails:Wayne, Stark conservation projects to get funding from state

DISCUSSION Commissioners Ron Amstutz, Sue A. Smail and Jonathan Hofstetter voted on Feb. 22 to increase the estimated cost by $50,000 of a project that would add 8-foot buggy lanes on Kidron Road to Hackett Road as a safety upgrade. The addition would bring the total cost to near $25 million. The project could be reimbursed by a federal Department of Transportation RAISE grant — Rebuilding America Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity.

A warning system would be part of the upgrade to help prevent collisions and alert other drivers of buggies passing through. The project would also include a 6-foot bike lane on either side of Buss and Apple Creek roads, and Bank Street, to improve safety at Buss and Cutter roads in Apple Creek at the Ohio to Erie Trail and the Heartland Rails-to-Trails bike paths.

Roughly $500,000 of the cost would be reimbursed by the Amish Steering Committee and $100,000 would be funded by Rails-to-Trails of Wayne County.

Other action by Wayne County commissioners at Feb. 15 and 22 meetings

  • Accepted a grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation for the installation and inspection of a new guardrail along the west side of Apple Creek Road south of Back Orrville Road.

  • Approved a grant for construction and inspection of raised pavement markers at multiple road locations in Wooster and surrounding areas, including at Milltown and Mechanicsburg roads to Oakhill Road.

  • Approved a resolution accepting funding to construct a roundabout at state Route 585, Apple Creek Road, and Five Points Road near Smithville. The expected cost is over $1.3 million, with 80% of the funds being reimbursed through the Highway Safety Improvement Project in conjunction with the County Engineers Association of Ohio. The remaining 20%, about $330,600, will be covered by the Ohio Department of Transportation at a later date.

  • Approved an agreement between the Wayne County dog warden and the city of Orrville, which will allow for investigations in animal cruelty cases and an increase in dog drop-offs to the County Dog Shelter.

  • Agreed to seek a performance grant worth nearly $100,000 for the Wayne County Emergency Management program.

UP NEXT Meets at 9 a.m. March 1 in the Administration Building. People interested in attending virtually can sign up through an online link.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne County commissioners eye buggy, bike lanes for safer roads