The city proposes to reduce the number of lanes of traffic from seven to five.
The city wants to install new curb and tree lawn, with about 150 new trees along the corridor.
The city also plans to install a 12-foot bike and multi-use path, which would be protected from traffic by the tree lawn and sidewalk.
This section of Keowee had 232 crashes between 2016 and 2020, and about 81 (35%) resulted in injuries or death, according to the city.
During that timeframe, the roadway had 52 left-turn collisions and a dozen pedestrian and bike crashes.
A traffic study found that during a 24-hour period more than 900 vehicles that traveled along that part of Keowee were going at least 10 mph over the posted speed limit of 35 mph.
On average, that section of Keowee Street is used by about 27,200 vehicles each day.
The Dayton City Commission this week is expected to have the second reading of an ordinance that will accept a nearly $2.1 million grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation in support of the road diet project.
The city says construction on Keowee could begin in April 2026.
The work is expected to take about a year to complete.
Dayton plans to put other busy corridors on road diets, like parts of North Main Street and Wayne Avenue.
The city has said it wants to shrink Gettysburg Avenue because of dangerous driving along the corridor.
About the Author
