Lima City Engineer Ian Kohli announced the city’s Comprehensive Multimodal Safety Action Plan on Wednesday during the mayor’s weekly media briefing. The plan aims to guide future safety investments by identifying areas where serious traffic accidents have most frequently occurred, according to Kohli.

Developed in partnership with LJB Engineering, the initiative utilizes three draft analyses that combine historical crash data with anticipated public input. The project received $485,560 in grant funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program, Kohli stated.

The first analysis identified 2,887 severe crashes within Lima over the past 10 years. Kohli reported that these incidents included 217 involving “serious injuries” and 16 resulting in fatalities. The engineer observed specific trends from these statistics, noting that they allow Lima to take “a data-driven approach to safety.” Kohli highlighted that pedestrian and bicycle crashes, while a smaller portion of total incidents, represent a “disproportionate share of severe outcomes.” He added that just 25% of the city's roadway mileage accounts for almost 70% of its total crash severity.

The safety action plan then weighed the severity of all Lima crashes over the 10-year period, using geolocation data from police crash reports. Through this analysis, the engineering team mapped what Kohli called a “High Injury Network,” which identifies the roads where the most severe crashes happen most often. The “Motor Vehicle Crash Score” for these corridors was determined by weighing the density and outcome of crashes, Kohli said.

The top 10 most dangerous corridors identified through this study, along with their Motor Vehicle Crash Scores, are:

* North Cable Road between Allentown Road and Latham Avenue, 40.19 * North Cable Road between Latham Avenue and Windsor Drive, 37.15 * North Cable Road between Windsor Drive and College Park West, 31.78 * North Jameson Avenue between West Wayne and West Market streets, 21.81 * South Metcalf Street between Faurot Avenue and West Market Street, 19.11 * South Metcalf Street between South Shore Drive and Faurot Avenue, 18.75 * Bellefontaine Avenue between South Dana Avenue and East Kibby Street, 17.42 * Allentown Road between North Rosedale Avenue and North Jameson Avenue, 16.61 * North Metcalf Street between West Market and North Wayne Streets, 16.34 * South Metcalf Street between West Kibby Street and South Shore Drive, 15.95

Kohli explained that this analysis provides a “much more complete, data-driven picture of roadway safety across the entire city.” He noted it will help identify needs, prioritize future investments, and develop projects based on documented safety concerns.

The final aspect of the plan examines how transportation safety and access affect different areas and populations. The full analyses are available for public review, and comments are planned to be accepted in the fourth quarter of 2026. According to a press release from the city, public feedback will inform “eventual recommendations within the safety action plan.” Kohli emphasized the value of feedback, stating the city is seeking not only comments on the data but also personal experiences from residents who use the roadways to understand what is occurring.