City Moves to Take Land for West Third Street Safety Project

A resolution declares Dayton's intent to acquire property and easements needed to narrow West Third Street from five lanes to three.

By Richthrax · Oct. 25, 2026

The Dayton City Commission has before it a resolution declaring the city's intent to appropriate land and easements for the West Third Street Safety Improvement Project, Citizen Portal reported Oct. 21.

The resolution covers fee simple interests, the most complete form of property ownership, along with permanent and temporary easements on multiple parcels, according to the report. Citizen Portal's headline put the number at 34 parcels. The body of the report says "multiple" parcels and its summary says "dozens."

Why the city is using appropriation

The city "had been unable to locate legal owners" for some of the properties and could not get clear title to them, Citizen Portal reported. Staff said the properties are needed for the safety work to go forward.

City Engineer David Escobar wrote the memo that accompanied the resolution. The memo asked that the resolution be presented at the commission's Oct. 21 and Oct. 28 meetings, according to the report. The report did not include a vote, a resolution number, a list of addresses or estimated property values.

The project

The project covers West Third Street between Abbey Avenue and James H. McGee Boulevard, according to the city's West Dayton transportation projects page. Plans call for cutting the road from five lanes to three, adding a two-way cycle track, curb extensions and raised crosswalks, and removing the traffic signal at Young Avenue. The city lists construction as starting in fall 2027.

WYSO reported Dec. 25, 2025, that the city and the Ohio Department of Transportation proposed about $2.4 million in improvements on the stretch. The plan also includes a parking lane on the north side, raised medians, elevated bus stops, accessible curb ramps, and closing Delphos Avenue's connection to West Third Street. About 8,400 vehicles use the stretch daily, according to ODOT figures cited by WYSO. Construction would take up to 12 months, the station reported.

"We wanted to look at a way of calming the traffic, slowing it down, and then right-sizing the road," Escobar told WDTN in January. "I think we're a little bit oversized traffic-wise for the amount of vehicles we see out on Third Street."

He said the cycle track would be protected "so cyclists can ride it and have a barrier between them and the traveling public," WDTN reported.