North Main Street Road Diet and Corridor Study

North Main Street is an arterial roadway through Akron’s North Hill neighborhood in need of active transportation options for its residents to promote safety and accessibility.

Environmental Design Group provided a safety and planning study of the 2-mile corridor to investigate the potential and feasibility of applying a road diet, converting certain intersections to roundabouts, adding protected bike and pedestrian infrastructure, removing unwarranted signals, and reducing congestion.

The project involved several public meetings, various funding applications, reports with illustrative graphics, and the conceptual design of proposed countermeasures. The original scope of the project was too costly. EDG developed a reduced plan and assisted in securing funding through the ODOT Highway Safety Improvement Program that includes resurfacing of existing pavement, new striping plans, sidewalk replacement, new traffic signals, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon installations, midblock crossings, bump outs, and new curb ramps within the existing right-of-way.

The comprehensive corridor study and master plan includes a roundabout, bike lanes, widened sidewalks, streetscaping, green infrastructure, and enhanced transit waiting environments. Voted on by the U.S. Senate, this project is slated to be awarded $4 million dollars through the INVEST Act. EDG assisted the city with the application.

Project Photos