EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — The East Cleveland community is calling on Governor Mike DeWine for change after a mother was killed while crossing the street earlier this week.
The 37-year-old woman was struck by a vehicle Monday in an area where a traffic light was removed.
Black on Black Crime Inc. wrote a letter to Gov. DeWine asking him to send a representative to a 4 p.m. vigil Thursday. The group said removing the traffic light has created dangerous conditions for residents of East Cleveland.
The vigil will be held in front of the Family Dollar at Strathmore and Euclid.
On Thursday, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) gave the following statement to 3News regarding the traffic light:
“The Ohio Department of Transportation offers our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the young woman killed on Monday evening in East Cleveland when crossing Euclid Ave. As part of a comprehensive safety and traffic signal upgrade project in the city of East Cleveland, the signal at the intersection of Euclid Ave. and Stanwood/Strathmore is scheduled to be upgraded in the spring of 2020. With the city’s approval, the old signal was removed on November 22, 2019 because of a malfunction in the permanent flash mode. Stop signs replaced the red flashing signal for traffic on Stanwood Rd. and Strathmore Ave.”
Later in the afternoon, ODOT made the following update to its statement:
"ODOT will work with the City of East Cleveland and the contractor to determine if they can expedite the replacement of their traffic signals that were removed because they were not working. These upgraded signals include additional safety signals for pedestrians."
ODOT's traffic signal project began with a study of East Cleveland's traffic signals in 2012. It found that 31 of the city's 49 existing signals were not warranted and were recommended for removal. The 18 remaining traffic signals were recommended for upgrades and new signals due to traffic volume, pedestrian volume, and/or proximity to a school building. ODOT says the $2.8 million project should be completed by July of 2020.
There is currently legislation before city council to reduce the speed limit on Euclid Avenue due to the lack of traffic lights.