OhioSafe Commute

)hio’s rural roads are becoming safer, the number of tragedies are being reduced, and we are having a significant impact on improving the quality of life for everyone who enjoys Ohio’s roadways. At all levels of our organization, the men and women who represent the Ohio State Highway Patrol should take pride in the strides we have made so far.

Although we continue to see a reduction in rural fatalities as compared with last year, we must now focus our attention on the overall crash picture, which means positively impacting urban areas where fatality numbers continue to climb.

I am happy to announce that later this year our successful OhioSafe Commute program will be utilized in Cleveland and Cincinnati to help curb the tide of rising urban fatalities.

OhioSafe Commute stations law enforcement officers along the busiest highways during peak hours. When crashes occur, officers respond quickly to clear the scene, and minor crashes are directed off the highway for completion of crash reports. Partnering law enforcement agencies and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) work together to make the rush-hour commute safer and reduce crash-causing violations during other times of the day.

We began OhioSafe Commute in November 2003 in Dayton to very positive reviews in partnership with ODOT, Ohio Public Safety, and local law enforcement agencies. In Central Ohio, a 60-day evaluation phase took place in January and February, a second operation was conducted in March and April, and the third phase is running July 6 through Sept. 18.

In and around Columbus, our success in patrolling high-volume corridors and enforcing crash-causing violations has dramatically improved commuting on:

• Interstate 70 from Children's Hospital to Interstate 270
• Interstate 70/71 "split" from State Route 315 to Fifth Avenue
• Interstate 270 from SR 161 to U.S. Route 23 (northwest)
• Interstate 270 south of Morse Road and north of Interstate 670
• State Route 315 from Lane Avenue to Interstate 270