This is the third in a multi-part series examining the potential long-term impact of the City of Mount Vernon’s State Route 13 relocation project. To read Part I, an introduction, click here. To read Part II, a look at how the project would impact the way traffic flows through downtown Mount Vernon, click here.
MOUNT VERNON — Relocating State Route 13 would change the way traffic flows through downtown Mount Vernon.
So, which streets would become busier – and less busy – as a result? And by how much?
The City of Mount Vernon conducted a downtown traffic study from 2018-2020 to get a sense of current traffic volumes. Officials then used those numbers to project what the same streets and intersections might look like in 2044, 20 years after the anticipated “start” of the project.
The 2044 projection included two scenarios — one with the project having been completed, and one without it.
Emily Platt, a consultant with the city’s engineering department, said officials found that five locations downtown would experience a “significant change” in traffic volume as a result of the project.
Traffic would increase heading south onto the viaduct from the Sandusky Street extension (currently Phillips Drive)
This intersection currently sees 940 vehicles at its morning peak and 800 at its afternoon peak, according to the city’s study.
If the city decided not to move forward with the State Route 13 relocation project, traffic here would still increase, given local growth projections. The city estimates the intersection would see 1,150 vehicles at its morning peak and 990 at its afternoon peak in 2044.
But if the project is completed, it would eliminate Phillips Drive, a two-lane, one-way road, and introduce an extended Sandusky Street, a state route with two lanes going south and one going north. This would increase traffic substantially; the city estimates the intersection would see 1,370 vehicles at its morning peak and 1,470 at its afternoon peak in 2044.
The breakdown: If the project is completed, traffic here would increase 19% at peak morning hours and 48% at peak afternoon hours by 2044, compared to traffic projections if the project is not completed.
Traffic would increase 45% at peak morning hours and 83% at peak afternoon hours when compared to current traffic volumes.
“This tells us that traffic would be substantially increasing along the future South Sandusky extension in 2044, compared to the amount of traffic that was traveling along this in 2020,” Platt said.
“We can conclude this is traffic from trucks/industry and people traveling along the new South Sandusky route, creating opportunity for some additional business along the area.”
If the project is not completed, traffic would still increase 22% at peak morning hours and 23% at peak afternoon hours by 2044.
Traffic would decrease heading north onto Gay Street from the viaduct
This intersection currently sees 500 vehicles at its morning peak and 700 vehicles at its afternoon peak, according to the city’s study.
Traffic here would still increase if the city went forward with its State Route 13 relocation project, given local growth projections. The city estimates the intersection would see 520 vehicles at its morning peak and 730 at its afternoon peak in 2044.
But traffic would increase far more without the project. The city estimates the intersection would see 620 vehicles at its morning peak and 860 at its afternoon peak in 2044 if the project is not completed.
The breakdown: If the project is completed, traffic here would still increase 4% at peak morning hours and 4% at peak afternoon hours by 2044.
But if it is not completed, traffic would increase 24% at peak morning hours and 22% at peak afternoon hours.
“This tells us that traffic congestion will improve in this area by building the South Sandusky project,” Platt said.
Traffic would decrease heading north through the Gay Street/Gambier Street intersection
This intersection currently sees 490 vehicles at its morning peak and 820 vehicles at its afternoon peak, according to the city’s study.
Traffic here would increase at peak morning hours if the city decided not to move forward with its State Route 13 relocation project. The intersection would see 610 vehicles at its morning peak in 2044 if this were the case.
But traffic would remain the same – 490 vehicles at the morning peak – if the project were to take place.
Meanwhile, peak afternoon traffic at the intersection would decrease to 620 vehicles in 2044 if the project were to take place, as opposed to just 760 if the project were to not take place.
The breakdown: Traffic at peak afternoon hours would decrease 24% by 2044 if the project were to take place. It would decrease 7% if the project were not to occur.
Meanwhile, traffic at peak morning hours would increase 24% if the project were not to occur. It would remain the same if the project were to take place.
“This tells us that traffic congestion will improve in this area by building the South Sandusky project,” Platt said.
Platt called the projected decrease in peak afternoon traffic “a significant data point” because “even with a 24-year gap, there is still a decrease in traffic congestion.”
Traffic would decrease heading onto Public Square from East High Street
This intersection currently sees 210 vehicles at its morning peak and 330 vehicles at its afternoon peak, according to the city’s study.
Traffic here would increase if the city decided not to move forward with its State Route 13 relocation project. The intersection would see 250 vehicles at its morning peak and 400 vehicles at its afternoon peak in 2044 if that were the case.
But traffic would decrease if the city were to complete the project. The intersection would see 150 vehicles at its morning peak and 250 at its afternoon peak in 2044 if that were the case.
The breakdown: If this project is completed, traffic here would decrease 40% at peak morning hours and 37% at peak afternoon hours by 2044, compared to traffic projections if it is not completed.
“This tells us that traffic congestion will improve in this area by building the South Sandusky project,” Platt said.
Additionally, traffic would decrease 28% at peak morning hours and 24% at peak afternoon hours by 2044 when compared to current traffic volumes.
Platt called this “a significant data point” because “even with a 24-year gap, there is still a decrease in traffic congestion.”
Traffic would decrease heading west onto Chestnut Street from Gay Street
This intersection currently sees 130 vehicles at its morning peak and 130 vehicles at its afternoon peak, according to the city’s study.
Traffic here would increase if the city decided not to move forward with its State Route 13 relocation project. The intersection would see 170 vehicles at its morning peak and 170 vehicles at its afternoon peak in 2044 if that were the case.
But traffic would decrease if the city were to complete the project. The intersection would see 50 vehicles at its morning peak and 20 at its afternoon peak in 2044 if that were the case.
The breakdown: If this project is completed, traffic here would decrease 70% at peak morning hours and 88% at peak afternoon hours by 2044 (compared to traffic projections if it is not completed).
“This tells us that traffic congestion will improve in this area by building the South Sandusky project,” Platt said.
Additionally, traffic would decrease 61% at peak morning hours and 84% at peak afternoon hours by 2044 when compared to current traffic volumes.
Platt called this “a significant data point” because “even with a 24-year gap, there is still a decrease in traffic congestion.”
These prospective traffic changes go hand-in-hand with the overall mission of the city’s State Route 13 relocation project: To move pass-through traffic off of Gay Street and Public Square and onto an expanded Sandusky Street.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES: What might these changes mean for life and economic development in Mount Vernon – both downtown and along State Route 13 itself?
