Granville Township removed campaign signs at the River Road and State Route 16 East intersection after some people said they might pose traffic and safety issues and violate the zoning code.
Several candidates in the May primary placed signs at the intersection in recent weeks. Some of them were near the roadway, while others were deeper into the right-of-way, before township staff removed them around May 1, Granville Township Roads Superintendent Travis Binckley told The Advocate.
The township often assesses whether signs pose a distraction to commuters. Its zoning code prohibits signs in right of ways, and that’s the primary reason staff removed them, Binckley said.
Ohio Department of Transportation District 5 spokesperson Chas Cosgrave told The Advocate April 30 the agency would discuss the presence of the signs at the intersection. ODOT owns the right of way in that area and also prohibits campaign signs in right of ways.
The signs caught the attention of some people, including Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb, who stated the signs could be a possible distraction for drivers heading east on SR 16. Bubb’s suggestion came during an April 29 hearing to discuss a proposal from the Ohio Department of Transportation to remove part of River Road and improve safety in the area.
“You think about distractions on a very busy intersection with people moving along pretty quick, and I can’t think of an intersection that’s more heavily populated by political signs,” Bubb said. “Whether it’s aesthetically pleasing or not, I can’t speak to that – maybe the neighbors can – but it certainly is a distraction there.”
Bubb’s concern in part stems from commuters not having an acceleration lane when merging onto SR 16 from River Road. Drivers must speed up quickly to safely merge with traffic, and it’s possible someone heading east on the highway takes a longer look at the signs and doesn’t see a commuter merging onto the road or upcoming traffic slowing down.
The county commissioners, Granville Township and ODOT expect to look into other solutions on how to address safety at the intersection after the commissioners denied the petition to remove part of River Road.
Granville Township Trustee Leonard Hubert at the April 29 hearing said the signs don’t belong in the right of way and that trustees discussed removing them after the May primary.
Staff plan a more proactive approach with signs at the intersection, Binckley says
A resident at a recent township meeting expressed loitering concerns with the signs, Trustee Rob Schaadt said. Another shared concerns about violations of the zoning code, according to Binckley.
It’s not the first time candidates have placed signs there. They have done so over the past few decades, Binckley said, though staff have generally left them because they are up for a short window – around 40 days or so – and he feels they aren’t a big distraction to drivers.
Residents in the area at times have also helped maintain the right of way, Binckley said, helping prevent the area from becoming a bigger issue.
Binckley said he expects township staff will take a more proactive approach to remove signs there during future election cycles.
“I feel like there might have been a few more signs – candidates doubled up on their signs instead of putting just one,” Binckley said. “But (it wasn’t) really out of the ordinary of what’s typical with that intersection.”
Safety at intersection top of mind for county staff, commissioners
Binckley suggested that the recent discussion about the intersection perhaps brought more attention to the amount of signs. ODOT filed the petition April 2 over concerns of traffic safety, and residents, public officials and the county commissioners have all shared their opinions of it over the past month.
Some residents and county staff suggested closing the intersection, in part to reduce increasing traffic on River Road and address what many feel is a very unsafe area.
Licking County Commissioner Duane Flowers during an April 30 meeting called it a major problem, and Bubb moments later recommended people don’t turn right onto SR 16 from River Road unless absolutely necessary.
There were 14 crashes at the intersection between 2021 and 2025, with 50% of them resulting in injury, according to ODOT data.
Some of the options at the intersection include closing it to the general public but permitting access to first responders. Commuters could also use it as a fire exit during emergencies if it’s closed to them.
The commissioners during the April 30 meeting said they want to hear more data and information on the intersection before deciding on a solution. They suspect that the best long-term option might be closing drivers’ access to it and only allowing first responders through.
ODOT several years ago closed an intersection north of Route 16 and at River Road after seven crashes there in a six-year span.
Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at jhperez@newarkadvocate.com.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Granville Township removes political signs at River Road, SR 16
Reporting by Josué Perez, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
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