Three years after the completion of the Springfield Pike reconstruction project and its associated road diet, statistics show the project has been a success for driver safety and overall traffic flow.
When the project started in 2018, the effort was slated to achieve several primary goals: replace the aged water mains running underneath Springfield Pike, install new storm sewers, replace the overall road base for the Pike, address safety issues, and improve traffic flow.
At the beginning, Wyoming citizens were concerned about the project. Many questioned how traffic could flow better when reducing the number of lanes each direction from two to one.
However, the results speak for themselves. A Spring 2022 signal timing study conducted by the Ohio Department of Transportation showed a 1% reduction in travel time, a 4% reduction in vehicle delay, and and 11% increase in average speed. The same study showed an associated $40,000 savings from reduced delays and $615,000 savings from fewer crashes.
According to data cited at the start of the project, Springfield Pike regularly saw 44% more crashes than on similar roads statewide.
From 2018 to 2022, there were 21% fewer crashes involving property damage, and accidents involving injury dropped 27% over the same period.
The addition of a traffic light at Bonham Road eliminated accidents at that intersection.
While the residents of Wyoming felt the growing pains of the project for several years, it should be clear we’ve all benefited from the updates to our “main street.”
