AKRON, Ohio — An Akron street is becoming safer following years of community concerns.
The City of Akron has installed 70 plastic flex posts along Memorial Parkway. Those posts help define a lane for pedestrians and bikers on the busy road.
As News 5 reported in June 2026, community members were concerned about this stretch of road following years of accidents, including a death in 2020.
Vision Zero Akron said pedestrians use Memorial Parkway to get to Akron's Towpath Trail from North Hill. Often, drivers are going above the posted 35 miles per hour speed limit.
"It is posted 35 miles per hour, which according to the State of Ohio, means people drive over 40 miles per hour," Andy Manka, founder of Vision Zero Akron, said. "If you're a cyclist or a pedestrian and you get hit at that speed, you are very likely to die."
Manka said the posts will hopefully keep people in the lanes they're supposed to be in.
More safety measures could be on the way to Memorial Parkway. Vision Zero Akron said the road is slated for a traffic study in 2028. The organization said the study could help the City of Akron decide what more could be done to make the road safer.
Manka said he would like to see a protected bike lane, more safety posts and a slower speed around park entrances added to Memorial Parkway. He said the added posts are still a win for safety.
