State Senator Teresa Fedor expressed her concern about a plan by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to remove the left turning lane on McCord Road in Springfield Township. The lane currently allows vehicles to turn left onto Spring Valley Drive.
“I have heard from business owners who have been in the area for decades and who are very concerned about the future of their businesses. This change could negatively affect around 40 businesses at a time when small businesses need all our support,” she said.
Ms. Fedor understands ODOT’s safety concerns with the intersection, but believes “diverting traffic to a school zone creates a different safety risk. To my understanding, Springfield Local Schools were not even contacted about this issue. It should be a requirement for the department to contact local school districts when they plan on making changes that could increase traffic in that school zone.”
She continued, “If ODOT does not want to use alternative one, which was the preferred option by the community, I urge them to go back to the drawing board and work with members of the public to come up with a solution for McCord Road that addresses safety and takes community concerns into consideration.”
The Holland-Springfield Chamber of Commerce wrote a letter urging ODOT to explore other solutions for the intersection, and the Springfield School Board and Springfield Township trustees passed resolutions.
