EAST CANTON, Ohio. — For the first time in 43 years, Dave Showalter can sit on his front porch along East Nassau Street without being drowned out by the sound of speeding cars.
"This would not have happened four months ago," Showalter said. "The noise would have been so loud we wouldn't be able to have this conversation."
Showalter credits the speed cameras the Village of East Canton installed in May for the change. Since July 2026, the cameras have issued more than 16,000 speeding citations.
"You feel a little more secure, a little more safety. Quiet. Oh my goodness! The amount of noise difference there is," he said.
Before the cameras, Showalter said speeding was a serious and persistent problem on the street. He said he witnessed cars crash into power poles and neighbors get rear-ended while turning into their own driveways. For the past five years, he attended village council meetings and wrote letters to share his concerns. While other solutions were proposed over the years, Showalter said the cameras have been the most effective.
"Why would you not take an opportunity to correct a very serious problem with this technology?" Showalter said.
Not everyone shares that view. The volume of citations has prompted some residents and customers to call for a boycott of the village, which has hurt local businesses. In September 2026, Dave Hunter, co-owner of Grandma Tammy's, described the impact.
"They love us. They love coming here, but they will not come back," Hunter said.
Showalter said a boycott was never the intent behind the cameras.
"We don't want people to boycott or hold these businesses hostage for our concern with safety," he said.
His goal, he said, has always been simple: to get drivers to respect the people who live along Nassau Street. From his front porch, he can now watch drivers obey the 35 mph speed limit.
"We just want the people who drive through this community to respect this community," Showalter said.
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