Mayor, police chief request more Patrol traffic enforcement

Bradley notes an increase in crashes involving speeding

Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers soon may be looking for speeders in Lorain.

Mayor Jack Bradley and police Chief James McCann have sent letters asking Highway Patrol Col. Richard Fambro to increase the enforcement within the city limits.

“In 2019, there continued to be far too many crashes involving speeding, as well as unbelted and impaired drivers,” Bradley wrote. “We are hoping to undertake planned operations in our city to focus on these threats to the safety of our citizens.

“This is not being requested to raise revenues; it is our hope that the streets of Lorain will be safer with your help.”

In two town hall meetings so far, residents have stated speeding drivers are a hazard to neighborhoods in Lorain, said Chief of Staff Melissa Kemp Barnhart.

Downtown restaurants and Rockin’ on the River summer concerts are nice amenities for Lorain, but the city does not need to earn a reputation where people think they can visit the city and drive drunk, said Safety-Service Director Max Upton.

The mayor and chief are asking for the Highway Patrol to increase traffic monitoring in areas that have become crash hot spots in recent years.

Those areas are spread around the city’s east and west sides and South Lorain.

Among the worst spots, intersections with Colorado Avenue and Root Road, Kansas, Missouri, East Erie and New Jersey avenues, and G Street, all are trouble spots on the east side.

On the west side, Tower Boulevard and Leavitt Road is a troublesome intersection, as well as West 21st Street crossroads with Reid, Washington, Oberlin and Broadway avenues.

Heading into South Lorain, Elyria Avenue and 21st Street is a high crash area, followed by East 31st Street and Grove and Seneca avenues, and East 28th Street and Elyria, Pearl and Broadway avenues, according to figures from Lorain police.

“For the purposes of this request, the intent and purpose of the traffic enforcement within the city of Lorain, is to conduct enforcement action in and around the top 10 crash hot spots as determined by statistical data,” McCann wrote. “Over the past five to 10 years, the top crash hot spots have remained constant with little to no change.

“I want to reiterate, enforcement action is to make the motoring public safer, not to generate revenue.”

Bradley also asked troopers to look for crash-causing violations and impaired drivers in areas with occurrences of drunk driving, speeding and crashes in which people are not wearing seat belts.