Fairlawn Secures $21M Federal Grant to Overhaul Busy Route 18

The 5-year project will add pedestrian islands, bus pull-outs, and roundabouts to improve safety and access along the West Market Street corridor.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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The city of Fairlawn, Ohio has been awarded a $20.8 million federal grant to redesign a 3.5-mile stretch of State Route 18, also known as West Market Street. The plan calls for wider crosswalks, bus pull-outs, and several roundabouts aimed at slowing traffic and making the busy commercial corridor safer for pedestrians. Planning is set to begin this spring, with construction expected to take around 4 years.

Why it matters

The Route 18 corridor is one of Fairlawn's busiest, serving several schools, parks, and businesses. The redesign is intended to improve safety and access for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users in the area, which has seen a high rate of crashes involving vulnerable road users.

The details

The project will include features like pedestrian refuge islands, high-visibility crosswalks with rapid-flashing beacons, new lighting, extended turn lanes, and access management changes to consolidate driveways and limit risky turns. City officials say the changes are meant to make it safer for people walking to nearby schools, parks, and other destinations.

  • Planning is set to begin this spring.
  • A 1-year planning phase will be followed by 2 years of design work.
  • Construction is expected to take around 2 years, for a total 5-year timeline.

The players

Fairlawn

The city in Ohio that secured the $20.8 million federal grant to redesign Route 18.

Ernie Staten

Fairlawn's director of public service, who discussed the project with News 5 Cleveland.

Emilia Sykes

The U.S. Representative whose office announced the federal grant for the Route 18 project.

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What they’re saying

“Now we actually have the ability to go in and do a lot of this work.”

— Ernie Staten, Fairlawn Director of Public Service (News 5 Cleveland)

“The redesign is meant to make life safer for people walking to seven nearby schools, including two that serve students with special needs, and to improve access to Bicentennial Park, the Rosemont Preserve and nearby Summit Metroparks.”

— Emilia Sykes, U.S. Representative (Press Release)

What’s next

The Federal Highway Administration will work with Fairlawn to finalize the project details, and the city plans to hold community meetings and business outreach as planning gets underway. Temporary lane shifts and pilot installations are expected this summer as part of the demonstration phase, with permanent construction coming in stages later on.

The takeaway

This major investment in redesigning Route 18 reflects Fairlawn's commitment to improving safety and access for all road users, not just drivers, along this busy commercial corridor. The project's focus on pedestrian infrastructure, traffic calming, and transit improvements could serve as a model for other communities looking to make their streets more welcoming and equitable.