TOLEDO, Ohio — WTOL 11 has been covering how the city of Toledo is trying to reduce speeding in neighborhoods as a part of its Vision Zero plan.
The city is planning to narrow the streets on Middlesex Drive in west Toledo and installed posts in October to test if would have an effect.
But people who live on and visit the street often, feel people haven't slowed down. Instead, they feel some drivers have sped up.
Alan Bain walks his dog on Middlesex Drive near Georgetown Village Apartments every day and said he sees cars fly by often.
"It's a cut-through street," he said. "There are no speed bumps. There are no stop signs. This has always been a fast street. I've lived here for about 10 years. and it's always been a really fast street."
Bain said he doesn't think the posts have had much of an impact.
However, said city officials said the narrowing does work. According to trial results from the city's website, the average speed of all cars has dropped in each of their trial blocks, even those that have not been narrowed.
Tyler Derosia said the narrowing is "definitely more of a nuisance."
He visits the Georgetown Village Apartments often to see his fiancée and doesn't think the street narrowing is helping. As a visitor, he said he's supposed to park on the street instead of the back lot, but doesn't think that's a good idea.
"I felt comfortable parking there without them, but now that they're here, it makes it a lot harder," Derosia said. "You feel a little too close to the cars that are coming by because, to be honest, it doesn't really slow down speeding too much."
He said there are few cars that park on the street now. In fact, he thinks since there aren't many cars parked on the street anymore, people are more inclined to speed.
WTOL 11 talked to multiple residents Georgetown Village Apartments who agree with Derosia and Bain.
Even leasing office managers at the apartments sent out an email to their tenants stating, "while we agree the speeding is an issue, we strongly disagree with the city's solution."
If you ask Derosia, he thinks speed bumps or a police presence would be more effective.
"Better than these that's for sure, if you want to slow people down and keep it slowed down," he said.
The city hasn't put on its website if the street narrowing will be a permanent addition to Middlesex Drive, or if the flexi-posts will be put on other streets.
The city agreed to an interview next week about the Vision Zero project.