MEETING MINUTES

GEA-Amish Safety Strategic Plan Scoping Meeting

Date: September 24, 2015 Time: 1 pm – 2:15 pm

Leader: Kevin Miller Location: Geauga County Engineer’s Office

Attendees: See sign-in sheet

Purpose: To involve representative of the primary stakeholders group in determining the scope of the

upcoming GEA-Amish Safety Strategic Plan.

Action items Who by Due by Completed

Discuss buggy data collection with Miovision LJB 10/1/15 Yes

Develop draft study scope for review by ODOT LJB 10/7/15

Obtain contracts for speed study (ODOT CO) and sight

distance study (Mastermind) as inputs to overall plan ODOT 10/15/15

Compile list of Amish safety related projects that have been

completed in the last 10 years (for reference) GCE 10/15/15

WELCOME & PURPOSE Attendees performed self-introductions. See the attached sign-in sheet for attendance at the meeting.

Stakeholder organizations represented included the Amish Safety Committee, Geauga County Engineer’s

Office (GCE), Ohio Department of Transportation District 12 (ODOT D12), Geauga County Sheriff’s

Office (GCS), Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), and LJB. The organizations were identified as

members of the steering committee commissioned to set the scope of the study and strategic plan.

This steering committee agreed that the purpose of the Amish Safety strategic plan and study is to

improve safety for pedestrians and buggy traffic as they interact with automobile traffic in Geauga

County. Both the GCS and GCE identified pedestrians as an equally important element of the study to

buggies.

BACKGROUND ODPS and ODOT performed studies in 2000 setting a statewide strategy for Amish safety. That strategy

encouraged regional studies/plans be developed to identify and prioritize local improvements and

countermeasures to improve safety of the Amish community and others within similar geography.

The Geauga County Engineer has already implemented improvements on county roadways to improve

safety for pedestrian and buggy use.

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ODOT is completing a project on SR 87 which includes an added buggy lane. ODOT wants to take a

more strategic approach to prioritizing where state funding should be spent to improve safety for

pedestrians and buggies within the Amish communities in Geauga County.

DATA COLLECTION The steering committed discussed existing resources for data collection. The steering committee agreed

that it would be important to evaluate both vehicular data and Amish buggy and pedestrian data (scooters

included) to be able to correlate data and identify trends.

Volumes GCE hasn’t effectively counted buggy traffic in the past. GCE would consider participating in data

collection if targeted locations were identified.

GCS has a covert unit that can time/date stamp the speed of vehicles, but it can’t differentiate between

vehicles/buggies.

ODOT D12 indicated that collecting traffic volumes would need to be included in the scope of the study.

LJB will ask Miovision if it is feasible to post-process video data collection for buggies. ODOT asked

LJB if they could us their cameras and process internally without Miovision engagement. LJB indicated

that this is a backup plan.

The Amish Safety Committee suggested that data collection be completed on Thursdays and Sundays

when buggy and pedestrian volumes would be at their peak. Thursday is Amish wedding day and Sunday

is church.

Speed studies Speed data is available from GCE on county and township routes.

ODOT D12 will request collection of speed data on state routes. ODOT D12 may need LJB to perform

this data collection. ODOT D12 wants to evaluate speed limits on state routes with high buggy volumes.

Crash data (2010-2014) Gathering and reviewing 5 years of data within the scope of the study is supported by ODOT D12 and

GCE. The steering committee wants crash data to include 2015 data.

Pedestrian, buggy, and vehicular accidents need to be included. ODOT D12 wants to see all accident

history to be able to compare vehicular safety concerns with buggy/pedestrian safety concerns.

Vertical Curves/Sight Distance Study The steering committee wants a sight distance inventory/survey on all state routes. Some county routes

would be candidates (ie. Rapids Road, Burton/Windsor Road, SR608).

Density of Amish Population The steering committee agreed to leverage the locations of Amish schools to identify Amish population

density.

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GCE has a spreadsheet inventory of the locations of these schools and they are also on the official county

transportation map.

DETERMINING PRIORITY IMPROVEMENTS The strategic plan and study will incorporate steering committee input, stakeholder input, and public

involvement. Stakeholder meetings are anticipated in the future to influence the prioritization of areas of

the study.

Three meetings anticipated:

1. Stakeholder meeting, including only public officials, to confirm scope of study.

2. Survey Amish community to determine priorities. A survey was deemed the best tool by the

steering committee for stakeholder input as opposed to a meeting. The survey could be included

in the Amish newsletter. Newsletters are distributed every two weeks. It is estimated that the

survey would reach 3000-4000 households through the newsletters. Follow-up with a second

stakeholder meeting was recommended to vet draft results of the study.

3. Final meeting would be a full public meeting

Steering committee identified routes of concern by marking them individually on maps. LJB collected

these maps in the meeting to synthesize routes for inclusion in the draft scope of the study.

POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS The Amish Safety Committee indicated that low cost and short term countermeasures were attractive to

them and could be all that is necessary.

Suggestions by LJB and the steering committee for potential solutions to be evaluated in the study

include:

• Paved areas where buggies can pull over

• Widen roadways to include buggy lanes

• Widen roadways for dedicated pedestrian way

• Reduction of speed limits on state routes where applicable

SCHEDULE

ODOT D12 would like LJB to complete the study in 6 to 8 months.

The above represents LJB’s interpretations of the discussion held at the referenced meeting. These notes will be considered agreed to by all parties unless any errors, omissions or discrepancies are reported to the author.