The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) revealed its annual list of high-crash intersections yesterday afternoon, and last year’s number one has been dethroned. The intersection of Hamilton Road and Livingston Avenue has dropped to second place, surpassed by the intersection of Broad Street and James Road.
It should come as little surprise that the most high-speed, high-traffic and generally widest roads in Columbus contain the majority of the most dangerous intersections, including Broad Street, Morse Road, Dublin-Granville Road and Cleveland Avenue.
From a neighborhood perspective, the Top 10 list is dominated by east-side and northeast-side intersections located in Eastmoor, Linden, the Northland area, and just south of Whitehall.
“At MORPC, we work closely with our local governments to build a region that offers a high quality of life,” states Kerstin Carr, MORPC Director of Planning & Environment. “Making sure that everyone can get around safely is a critical piece to this. These annual high-crash location lists allow us to monitor where most crashes occur and where people get hurt so we can work with our local and state partners in identifying engineering, educational, and enforcement measures that can reduce crashes.”
According to comments from the report, most intersection adjustments are generally comprised of changes to signal timing and the addition of new turn lanes. The only intersection slated for a potential “road diet” update is located at Broad Street and Central Avenue in Franklinton, which is being studied for the process. Road diets have been growing in popularity in Columbus as a means to slow traffic, add more pedestrian and bike infrastructure, and make car commuting safer.
To view the full Top 100 list of intersections, visit www.morpc.org/transportation/safety.