Working Towards a Uniform Speed Limit on Swailes Road
Vol. III, No. 135 - County and City Officials Team Up to Create One Speed Limit on Swailes Road
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Swailes Road cuts through both the City of Troy and unincorporated portions of Concord Township, so how fast drivers are allowed to go depends on which part of the road they are driving on. In Troy, the speed limit is 25 miles per hour—though parts of the road inside city limits are small and unmarked. Once the road leaves the city, the speed jumps to 55 miles per hour. This change confuses drivers and makes it hard for police to enforce a clear and safe rule for everyone using the road.
Realizing this, the City of Troy and the Miami County Engineer’s Office teamed up to see if there was a better way. The Miami County Engineer’s Office conducted a speed study for the section of Swailes Road between Peters Road and Nashville Road, gathering data on how fast people drove and what a safe speed might be. Their research showed that a consistent speed limit makes life easier not just for drivers, but also for those trying to keep the roads safe. A uniform limit means fewer surprises – and fewer tickets for simply missing a speed sign.
This publication recently took a look at how the County is going about to set the speed limits on Swailes Road and how those efforts require study and approval from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
The same process the County uses to set speed limits, is much the same here in the City of Troy. Under Troy’s Code of Ordinances, the Director of Public Service and Safety is in charge of putting up traffic control signs and deciding on speed limits inside city limits, but only after considering factors like safety, how many cars use the road, and past accident history. The Director must also follow the Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices to make sure everything from the signs to the rules meets the state’s standards. Now, it should be noted that the Director of Public Service and Safety’s authority is limited, if that individual makes a decision on traffic control, City Council does have the authority to overrule that decision.
With this new speed study on Swailes Road, Troy’s Director of Public Service and Safety is recommending that the City Council authorize a request to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to review the speed of Swailes Road. The goal is to get ODOT’s approval and then set a single speed limit for the road—45 miles per hour—between Peters Road and Nashville Road, which covers both city and county sections. This plan also lines up with Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.21, which guides how speed limits get set in the state. This recommendation will be discussed by the City Council’s Streets and Sidewalks Committee tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m.
If ODOT agrees with the findings of the study, the city’s Director of Public Service and Safety could set the speed at 45 miles per hour for the road inside Troy’s borders, matching the same speed on the county’s part. A unified speed limit makes it easier for both local police and county deputies to enforce the law, and makes safer, less stressful driving for commuters, farmers, and school buses that all use this stretch of road every day.
Creating a uniform speed limit on Swailes Road is more than just changing a number on a sign. It represents how good government can focus on the small details—local rules, engineering studies, and teamwork between city and county officials—to make daily life a little safer and easier for everyone driving through our community. With Council’s support and ODOT’s input, the future of Swailes Road points toward a more consistent driving experience, showing that cooperation and data-driven decisions can improve even the busiest roadways for everyone who depends on them.
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