Driving through Marysville has become quite a chore in the last several months. Anyone who drives on city streets can attest to that.
Now we know that you are going to blame the East Fourth Street closure to repair the bridge there over the Town Run for much of the problem. Although that project has admittedly been responsible for some of the traffic tie-ups recently, it by no means is the main culprit. Once it is completed, there will still be serious congestion in the uptown area and intersections farther out.
It is no secret that the number of vehicles traveling throughout town has increased tremendously over the past several decades. It is also no secret that those vehicles are driving over the same streets that have been in place for more than 100 years. The only change that has been made in that timeframe is the construction of the bypass from Delaware Avenue (U.S. 36) to West Fifth Street (U.S. 33) in 1968 that provided a way for some traffic to avoid going through the city.
However, a large number of cars and trucks still stream along Delaware Avenue and Fifth Street into the heart of the community causing backups at various intersections. And other roads such as London Avenue (Route 38), Weaver Road, and others have added to the current dilemma. Drivers often have to wait through two and three traffic light cycles before being able to proceed or make a left-hand turn.
Other smaller cities have faced the same problem. Some suffer from the same difficulty as Marysville, but some have been able to alleviate the situation with various solutions. We urge Marysville City Council to make a concerted effort to not only study the problem, but also to provide needed solutions in as short a period of time as possible.