Crashes Reduced on Miles Road in Cleveland Following Safety Improvements
CLEVELAND - The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)’s mission is to provide a transportation system that is safe, accessible, well maintained, and positioned for the future.
One of the ways we fulfill this mission is by regularly reviewing crash data along Interstates, U.S. Routes, and State Routes to determine where safety countermeasures may be successful.
Recently, State Route 43 (Miles Road) between State Route 14 (Broadway Avenue) and E. 175th Street in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, was transformed with multiple safety improvements after being identified as having higher than predicted crash frequency.
Prior to construction, in the three-year period between 2017-2019, there were 120 rear end collisions, 119 side-swipe/passing crashes, 23 head-on crashes, and 22 left-turn crashes.
As part of the resurfacing of Miles Rd., engineers implemented proven safety counter measures, along with a Road Diet, designed to reduce crashes. This converted Miles Rd. from an existing four-lane undivided roadway to a three-lane roadway consisting of two through lanes and a center two-way left-turn lane. The project also installed bike lanes, improved pedestrian infrastructure, and reconstructed traffic signals.
A Road Diet, also called a roadway reconfiguration, can improve safety and calm traffic to better serve all modes of travel - people who walk, bike, and drive, which enhances overall quality of life. With schools nearby and an elementary school on Miles Rd. at E. 120th Street, this improvement created safer conditions for students walking and biking to and from school. Road Diets can also help reduce rear-end, left-turn, and sideswipe crashes for drivers.
A two-way left turn lane was built along the entire length of the project to help reduce rear-end and head on crashes involving vehicles turning left. Dedicated left turn lanes were constructed at multiple intersections within the project limits, including the eastbound left turn lane at E. 120th Street.
Construction of this $6 million project was completed in spring 2021. In the three years since its completion (2022-2024), crashes have been reduced in all categories!
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Crash Type
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Rear End
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Side-Swipe/Passing
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Head-on
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Left-Turn
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Prior to Construction 2017-2019
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120
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119
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23
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22
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After Construction 2022-2024
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57
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44
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12
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19
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Percent Reduction
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52%
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63%
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48%
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14%
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See the project firsthand and hear from transportation engineer Arelis Latimer in a video about the project.
This project is just one example of how ODOT works to ensure all users have a safe experience when using Ohio roadways.
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