CLEVELAND — Interstate 90 is typically one of the busiest roads during rush hour on a normal day, but since Gov. DeWine issued the stay at home order, traffic volume has dropped across the state.
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) releases a regional traffic report each week, and the latest report shows volume in Northeast Ohio was down as much as 47%.
ODOT broke up the study into regions. The Northeast Ohio region has 10 counties, including Cuyahoga, Summit, Lake, Lorain and Geauga counties.
ODOT press secretary Matt Bruning said the drop in traffic volume hasn’t been a sudden hit, but a gradual shift over time.
“It's been a steady decrease over time. When you look back into mid-March we were down about 30% traffic volume wise. This last week we were down 47.5%. So, we've continued to see week after week the traffic volumes have come down."
Meanwhile, construction continues for highway workers as crews are able to get more work done during the day. While there has been a gradual decrease in vehicle on Ohio highways since the stay at home order went into place, this hasn’t translated into a safer working environment.
"Unfortunately, the dangers are still real,” he said.
The lower traffic volumes could have an impact on gas tax revenue but right now, it’s too early to determine what that impact will be.
