Ashland Main Street with Peking Restaurant viewed prominently. Ashland County businesses received an increase in Small Business Administration loans.
A view of downtown Ashland's Main Street. Businesses in Ashland County received 17 Small Business Administration loans totaling more than $4.35 million from October 2023-September 2024. Credit: Nathan Hart

ASHLAND — Ashland officials are trying to calm downtown traffic. 

Ashland City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday that allows officials to apply for a grant that would pay for the installation of “traffic calming crosswalks” on Main Street. 

Ashland Mayor Matt Miller said it involves the laying of brick pavers in existing crosswalks. The pavers help drivers better “delineate where there is a crosswalk,” he said. 

The money, if approved, would come from ODOT’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) fund. Miller hopes the money would also cover the installation of what the agency calls “bumped out curb extensions.” 

“You would bump out the sidewalk far enough to get you out past the parking spot so that traffic coming will be able to see you. It makes the pedestrian more visible,” he said. 

The traffic calming efforts, Miller said, are aimed at boosting safety to downtown pedestrians. 

Though crosswalks along Main Street exist, Miller said “you still cross at your own risk.” 

“Because some traffic stops, sometimes traffic doesn’t stop,” he said.

How much would this cost?

TAP funds are distributed annually, with applications due in November, according to ODOT. The agency said project selections typically occur in March each year.

But that doesn’t mean the project would get started immediately, said Shane Kremser, the city’s engineer. 

“If we’re awarded this money, it’s not a project we’d start until July 2028. So yeah, it’s a ways out,” he said, adding that’s because of how ODOT’s fiscal year shapes up. 

Kremser said officials are hoping to get enough funding to address every crosswalk between Claremont Avenue and Union Street, including those at signaled intersections.

His office is currently working on an estimated price for the project, but said it could cost up to $1.5 million. 

TAP funding is typically distributed at 80% of the project’s cost. The city would then pick up the remaining 20%, but if safety is a component, the agency could fund the entire project, Kremser said. 

The city is designing an application for the funds by including letters of support from downtown businesses, the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, Ashland Main Street and police and fire departments, Kremser said. 

Lead reporter for Ashland Source who happens to own more bikes than pairs of jeans. His coverage focuses on city and county government, and everything in between. He lives in Mansfield with his wife and...