GAMBIER — In Gambier, getting from point A to point B is a lot less about horsepower than it is about footwork. Now, more than $858,970 in state funding could make that walk a whole lot safer.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn announced Aug. 18 that more than $21 million would be awarded to 17 projects across 16 Ohio counties. These projects aim to improve safety for bicycle and pedestrian traffic.
Two of these projects happen to be located in Knox County.
ODOT awarded $858,970 to Gambier and $552,220 to Fredericktown through it’s Transportation Alternatives Program.
Gambier granted $858,970
In Gambier, the funding will support improvements along three high-use corridors: Wiggin Street Corridor, Chase and Gaskin Avenue Corridor and South Acland and Duff Street Corridor.
These corridors serve schools, community destinations, student housing, and other major pedestrian destinations. The project is designed to address safety concerns, improve ADA accessibility and close gaps in the existing sidewalk and crossing network.
“With the high volume of pedestrian traffic, the number one priority will be safety,” Gambier Village Administrator Courtney DeCosky said.
DeCosky said Gambier is a walking village because of the large number of students and other pedestrian traveling throughout the community.
‘It’s going to greatly enhance safety and connectivity’
The Wiggin Street improvements will focus on slowing traffic and making pedestrians more visible at crossings. The project includes curb bump-outs with raised crosswalks, along with new sidewalk and curb sections.
Improvements will shorten crossing distances while creating safer connections between residential areas, campus facilities and local services.
The Chase and Gaskin Avenue corridor will receive ADA- compliant curb ramps, high-visibility crosswalk signage and a rectangular rapid-flashing beacon at the northern end of the corridor.
The beacon will be in an area where rising vehicle speeds coincide with frequent pedestrian activity. These improvements will increase driver awareness and support safer crossing opportunities for all users.
South Acland and Duff Street corridor improvements will focus on connections between student housing, recreational facilities and the broader village sidewalk network.
Planned upgrades include high-visibility signage, improved crosswalk treatments, a new sidewalk segment and ADA-compliant accessibility improvements.
“The benefits and the safety improvements are gigantic for the village,” DeCosky said. “As a Gambier resident, driving into the village every day, I think all of us are anxious about hitting someone because there’s so much pedestrian activity.”
Part of the Duff Street improvements will include improving paths to the Lowry Center.
“With this project, it’s going to greatly enhance safety and connectivity, particularly connectivity to the athletics center,” DeCosky said.
Thousands of people, many of whom walk, visit the Lowry Center daily, DeCosky said.
The Gambier project is based on a preliminary design. Strand Associates is the engineering firm working on the project, DeCosky said.
Fredericktown receives funding for streetscape Phase 3
In Fredericktown, the $552,220 grant will fund Phase 3 of the village’s streetscape project.
The project will extend from South Main Street to Mohican Drive. It will connect the South Main streetscape project to an existing sidewalk running from Mohican Drive to Elizabeth Street on Columbus Road.
The village’s goal is to continue connecting the community through newly constructed ADA-compliant sidewalks.
The project will improve pedestrian travel for students and adults traveling to and from Fredericktown Local Schools.
The village expects the project could be completed in 2029 or 2030. ODOT will determine the project’s construction timeline.
Fredericktown Village Council plans to continue seeking funding for additional projects aimed at improving pedestrian connections and quality of life in Fredericktown.
