The Eastgate Regional Council of Governments has been awarded a $979,200 Community Planning Grant to study the feasibility of removing a 1.5-mile section of the Madison Avenue Expressway in Youngstown and converting it into a low-speed boulevard between MLK Boulevard and Andrews Avenue.

The grant, recently awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, could impact the more than 16,000 drivers who use the highway daily.

According to the Council, the construction of the expressway in the 1960s severed the neighborhood, leading to the decline and displacement of residents.

Eastgate's Director of Planning and Development, Justin Mondock, said 16,000 drivers is not a lot of traffic for a highway of this size, which also shows signs of deterioration.

He said Eastgate is doing the study to learn whether they can better design what they say is an underutilized piece of infrastructure.

"The highway is currently a sunken bowl that's a divided highway," Mondok said, "You have two lanes in each direction, and then the city street grid is elevated above it, so you've got these brides that cross over, creating a transportation barrier."

Proposed project area
Proposed project area Eastgate Regional Council of Governments

Freeway construction led the project area to decline almost immediately as a larger number of homes were demolished to make way for the new expressway and many residents moved to outlying suburbs.

The project aims to reconnect the community, improve pedestrian and cyclist safety, and reduce noise and pollution.

The proposed concept would involve reconfiguring the high-speed freeway trench onto the southern frontage road through traffic calming, and gateway roundabouts.

First, he said they're looking at whether it's feasible to remove a 1.5-mile stretch of the highway. From there, they'll determine a suite of alternative options.

Another idea is to shift traffic from the expressway itself and build out access roads to the north and south of the highway.

Councilman Mike Ray said he's interested to see if this is a better way to integrate the city.

"Connecting the north side to campus again I think could benefit, so we need to look at that and see what makes sense for our community today and if it's a right fit," Ray said, "The transportation has changed, the city has changed, the community has changed, so we have to look at really what makes sense moving forward. I totally understand the skepticism some of my colleagues expressed, because we need to make sure we're looking at all sides when looking at anything."

The project aligns with the goals of the Youngstown Equitable & Sustainable (YES) Streets Initiative, which seeks to integrate transportation, land use, and economic development strategies while prioritizing community benefits.

Mondock said the study is estimated to start in three to six months and the process will include public comment once they reach the potential design phase.