Troy City Council’s Streets and Sidewalks Committee chose Monday evening to pursue state infrastructure funding for the next phase of West Market Street improvements rather than advance a proposed realignment of McKaig and South Ridge avenues that was originally requested.
The decision does not permanently end the McKaig-Ridge concept. It delays it until the City has clearer plans for the former Heywood School property and has undertaken a more deliberate neighborhood and park-planning process.
City staff had recommended seeking $600,000 from the Ohio Public Works Commission toward a $1.6 million project to straighten McKaig Avenue’s two closely spaced intersections with South Ridge Avenue. The current configuration consists of two three-way stops within roughly 160 feet of one another. This publication covered this request here:
If It Ain’t Broke, Let’s Fix It (Part Two)
Back in April, this newsletter raised a simple question about the intersection of McKaig Avenue and Ridge Avenue: why is a fix for this intersection being discussed now, and does the data actually su…
The City described the current arrangement as a source of unnecessary delay and driver confusion. The project also included sanitary work, including improvements to a lift station that staff said will need replacement within approximately five years regardless of whether the road project moves forward.
But Service and Safety Director Patrick Titterington opened the nearly hour-long committee discussion with an important alternative: Council could instead submit West Market Street Phase Three for this year’s OPWC application and return to McKaig-Ridge after the City has more complete plans for the property that will be available when Heywood School is demolished.
That alternative ultimately became the committee’s consensus.
The Case for Realignment
Titterington said a McKaig-Ridge realignment has appeared in Troy’s planning documents for decades—going back to a 1931 thoroughfare map and later comprehensive plans. The pending demolition of Heywood, Kyle and Van Cleve school buildings creates a rare opportunity to reconsider how the surrounding land, streets and recreation space might fit together.
City staff shared conceptual drawings—not final plans—showing how a straightened intersection could be coordinated with future ball fields, parking, a multipurpose field and playground space. The central staff argument was not simply that drivers would save time. It was that removing the road’s jog could create a more flexible, unified site for future neighborhood redevelopment and recreation planning.
Police Chief Sean McKinney also described operational concerns. His review found nine crashes within 100 feet of the intersections since January 1, 2023, though only seven were directly related to traffic movements at the intersections. All were minor, and no injuries were reported. Still, McKinney said congestion can develop during school dismissal, particularly when vehicles block the short stretch between the two stop-controlled intersections.
That school-related traffic will change after Heywood closes. Yet McKinney noted that the route also becomes important when nearby streets, including West Main Street, are closed or detoured.
The Case for Waiting
Residents and several council members did not see the current evidence as sufficient to justify a $1.6 million commitment, let alone $600,000 grant request.
Former Troy Mayor Mike Beamish, a longtime neighborhood resident, urged Council not to “fix what’s not broken,” arguing that the existing intersection has safely handled traffic for decades and that the community has other infrastructure, economic-development and recreational priorities. Other speakers questioned whether a relatively small number of minor crashes and a short travel delay justified the cost.
Councilman Jeff Schilling made the practical point: Much of the cited congestion is connected to a school that will soon close, while the future use of the Heywood property remains unsettled. Councilwoman Lynne Snee similarly cautioned that realigning the roadway before completing a park master-planning and neighborhood-engagement process would put the sequence backward.
The question was not whether the intersection could be improved. It was whether Troy should decide now, before it knows what it is designing around.
What Happens Next
The committee agreed to recommend an OPWC application for West Market Street Phase Three, generally extending improvements from Horizon Court east toward the Interstate 75 area. Staff said design would begin in 2027, with construction expected the following year if funding is awarded.
The McKaig-Ridge project can return later—with better site plans, broader public input and a defined vision for the former Heywood property.
That is a sensible distinction. A grant opportunity should not force a community into making a permanent land-use and infrastructure decision before the larger plan is ready. The committee’s action keeps Troy competitive for state funding while preserving time to determine what the best option for the McKaig-Ridge area should become.
This is what it looks like when residents stay informed. If you find value in this work, share it with a neighbor, a colleague, or anyone who cares about this community. Paid subscriptions keep it going — $5 a month.
Civic Capacity runs on one thing: readers who believe local journalism matters. If you want to support this work without a subscription, you can now make a one-time contribution through Buy Me a Coffee — or in my case, Buy Me an Iced Tea. Click the button below. Every contribution goes directly into the work you read here every day.