RAVENNA, Ohio — The speed limit increases by 10 mph as drivers leave downtown Ravenna, near Robert Douglass' home on East Main Street, but he sees drivers speeding by much more than 10 mph.
"They fly through here a lot," Douglass said.
Similar to the west side of the city near the intersection of State Route 59 and Vine Street, the speed limit transitions from 25 mph in downtown Ravenna to 35 mph on the outer edge of the city.
Douglass is one of several residents pointing out that the speed limit increase feels like more than 10 mph when watching drivers on this stretch of road.
Because that stretch is a state road, the Ohio Department of Transportation — not the city — would have to change the posted speed limit.
However, the issue has still caught the attention of city leaders.
"On the outskirts, they go a lot faster," Ravenna Council President Rob Kairis said.
Ravenna police told News 5 they will take a closer look at both the east and west sides of the city, where the speed limit increases.
City council is looking one step further, with tentative plans brought up at a recent council meeting to implement flashing speed limit signs, which are already being used in a couple of spots around the city.
"We feel it's been successful," Kairis said. "I don't know if we have data to prove it, but people have commented that these devices that show your speed limit as you're approaching will start flashing when you're going too fast, and that tends to slow people down."
Kairis hopes to see a flashing speed sign posted on the city's east side within the next couple of weeks.
He told News 5 the city still had one purchased flashing sign that had not yet been assigned to a location.
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
