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The Petition

In support of traffic rule changes near the entrance to Washington Township Recreation Center. To: The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

On August 15, 2006, three weeks after Yukta was killed, Hemant and Arti Garg launched an online petition at ygmf.org urging ODOT to:

  • install a traffic light at the common stopping point between Ohio 725 and the entrance to the Washington Township Recreation Center, and/or make appropriate changes to the traffic rules for safe traffic at the intersection of Garnet Drive and Ohio 725; and
  • reduce the speed limit on Ohio 725 (and near WTRC) to 35 miles per hour or lower.

This intersection is used by several people and their families — most of them involving kids — to get into Washington Township Recreation Center. With the growth in surrounding areas, it was important to take the safety of all people into consideration. Appropriate changes to the traffic rules at this intersection would greatly improve the welfare of the entire county, as this is a heavily traveled area.

The petition was created and written by Hemant and Arti Garg, and was hosted as a public service. In three weeks it gathered 1,867 signatures.

Aerial diagram of the Ohio 725 and Garnet Drive intersection at the Washington Township Recreation Center entrance
The Ohio 725 / Garnet Drive intersection at the Rec Center entrance.

On September 1, the Gargs submitted the hardcopies of the petition along with the signatures to ODOT and Washington Township authorities. In response, ODOT performed a traffic study of the intersection and determined that the best alternative was to restrict people turning left or going straight through the intersection. On Friday, October 13, 2006, ODOT installed a product called Qwick Kurb at this intersection to force drivers to make a right turn only out of Garnet Drive and the Recreation Center driveway. Signage was also installed restricting the movement to a right turn only.

View the petition signatures collected between August 15 and September 8, 2006 (names redacted for privacy).

Read the full story on Why We Do This, or see the press coverage that followed on News.