SOUTH BLOOMFIELD, Ohio — Village officials say a reduced speed limit on U.S. Route 23 through South Bloomfield is unlikely, even after a fatal crash this summer prompted a wave of resident requests for safety improvements on the state highway.
Mayor Aaron Thomas said in a village update that he received numerous emails from residents after the crash asking what could be done to make the road safer through the village. More than half specifically asked about installing rumble strips on the northbound and southbound approaches into South Bloomfield, similar to those at other intersections along U.S. 23. Other residents suggested lowering the speed limit or increasing traffic enforcement.
Thomas said he raised the rumble strip request with the Ohio Department of Transportation, which controls the roadway. He said the village has limited authority over U.S. 23 because it is a state highway, even as the corridor undergoes a widening project through South Bloomfield.
“I can ask questions, push for changes, raise concerns, and continue lobbying ODOT, but ultimately many of these decisions are not ours to make,” Thomas said in the statement.
Lowering the speed limit would require a traffic study, which Thomas said can be costly for the village, followed by ODOT review and approval. He said the state’s stated purpose for U.S. 23 is to keep traffic moving, making a speed limit reduction “very slim.”
Thomas also pushed back on South Bloomfield’s reputation as a “speed trap,” saying the village’s Mayor’s Court revenue does not support that characterization. He said police officers are responding to a growing number of calls for service as the village has grown, time he said cuts into how much officers can focus on U.S. 23 traffic enforcement. The village marshal provides a monthly report on police activity and calls for service, according to the statement.
Thomas said he intends to keep pressing ODOT for safety improvements along the corridor despite the village’s limited authority over the roadway.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Village of South Bloomfield Office of the Mayor.
