AKRON, Ohio — Speed tables installed earlier this year to slow down Akron’s lead-footed drivers will reappear next year, and some could be in new locations, the city said.

Earlier this year, 28 speed tables were installed on 14 Akron streets. The tables were positioned in all 10 wards, with some areas requiring two tables

The locations were chosen based on resident input and speed data from Akron police, the city said.

What You Need To Know

  • Speed tables installed in the spring in Akron’s 10 wards will continue next year

  • The locations were chosen based on resident input and speed data from Akron police

  • During a pilot, speeds dropped about 7 mph and speeding was reduced from more than 90% of traffic to 67%

  • Residents can go to the AMATS website and recommend a location for a speed table

“We’ve received great feedback from residents and the community about the tables,” said Stephanie Marsh, Akron’s communications director.

Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study is still the tabulating how much the tables slowed traffic in the past several months, she said.

The tables proved effective during a pilot program, AMATS said in a report.

During the pilot, tables were installed on two streets. On one street, speeds dropped an average of about 7 mph and speeding was reduced from more than 90% of traffic to 67%, AMATS said. The second street showed similar data, AMATS said.

The tables are not designed like speed bumps. They are made of rubber pieces that interlock and have tapered ends.

The interlocking pieces form a raised rectangle with enough of a flat top that the tables accommodate the entire wheel base of a vehicles, the city said.  Signs are installed before the tables to alert drivers.

AMATS asked Akronites for input and received more than 300 responses, AMATS said. About 96% of responses were positive, with many residents recommending streets all around the city.

Sixteen streets garnered at least three requests for speed tables, while the top five streets had nine or more requests each, AMATS said.

Castle Boulevard in Ward 8 topped the list with 20 requests.  

Ward 8 Councilman Shammas Malik told residents in his monthly newsletter he wants the city to buy more of the tables, so each ward has more of them.

He also would like some tables installed permanently in Ward 8’s high-traffic locations, such as Castle Boulevard, Garman Road and Schocalog Road.

The city has no plans yet to install permanent tables, Marsh said, and has not decided on the locations for 2023.

“We will most likely evaluate other locations for placement based on the feedback we’ve received, but some tables may be put in the same spots,” she said.

Speed tables are recommended for streets with speed limits of 25 mph, AMATS said.

Residents who want to request speed tables on a specific street can visit the AMATS website to fill out a form. 

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