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Is Butler bad for business?

Sortino says so, but Cedar Point says other roads can't handle its traffic.

By BRANDI BARHITE
brandibarhite@sanduskyregister.com

SANDUSKY - The suggested closing of the Butler Street ramp to invigorate Cleveland Road is prompting distinct reactions:

It's about time.

Don't even think about it.

George Sortino, president of Sortino Management and Development, has been saying for years the city is hurting local businesses by directing Cedar Point traffic away from western Cleveland Road by way of the Butler Street ramp.

"I haven't opened the Rodeway Inn in May in years," Sortino said. "There's no traffic until later in the summer because there isn't enough exposure and traffic count until the heart of the season."

Sortino, and his brother, Jim Sortino, president of parent company, S&S Realty, own and manage much of the hotel, retail and restaurant property on Cleveland Road, in addition to a handful of sites in Perkins and Milan townships.

Sortino said Sandusky Plaza on Cleveland Road has 28 businesses in it. The plaza is also cut off from traffic using the Butler Street ramp.

"All are trying to operate; they have families to feed," George Sortino said of his tenants.

As a compromise, why not have Cedar Point traffic come in on Cleveland Road and then exit on Butler Street? he said.

"They have money in their pockets when they are coming in," Sortino said.

But Cedar Point isn't about to send its guests down Cleveland Road without a fight. The Butler Street ramp was expanded in the late 1990s for Cedar Point, said park spokesman Bryan Edwards.

Immediately after Commissioner Dannie Edmon suggested last week giving it a try for one month to help businesses on Cleveland Road, the park was on the offense.

"Cedar Point would oppose the closing of the Butler Street ramp," Edwards said. "It would be unwise to direct traffic to streets that weren't designed to handle that type of traffic.

"It would be a huge inconvenience to guests and residents here," Edwards said.

"As a lifelong resident here, you know the routes to avoid the Cedar Point traffic."

Sandusky Traffic Engineer Josh Snyder is analyzing the capacity of Cleveland Road to see if it would be able to serve the additional traffic.

An average of 8,444 vehicles in August 2002 traveled north on Butler Street, according to a traffic study.

Between Sycamore Line and Butler Street, Cleveland Road is three lanes. Butler to Cedar Point Drive is four lanes.

Snyder said the right lane of traffic on Milan Road has to turn down Butler Street ramp in the summer. But overhead lights and signs indicate that either lane will get to Cedar Point.

"The left lane is a lighted right turn/straight arrow for directing Cedar Point to either direction (down the ramp or straight ahead to Sycamore Line)," he said.

Snyder said it is difficult to get an accurate count of the vehicles traveling north from Milan road to Cleveland Road, due in large part to vehicles coming from the east, which also end up on Cleveland Road.

"Keep in mind that the proposed month of May for closure is the slowest month of traffic generated by the park. (May) would not be a good indicator of how much traffic Cleveland Road would see in the real 'swing' of the season," Snyder said.

Cedar Point had 3.1 million guests during its 2005 season.

"It would be very good or very bad," said Bill Miller, manager of the Marathon Friendship Food Store, 1318 Cleveland Road. "If it brings more business my way, I would be happy.

"But if it runs people away, I will be the first one screaming," he said. "People might seek other routes if they don't want to come down Cleveland Road."

Joan Van Offeren, executive director of the Erie County Visitors & Convention Bureau, said it is about traffic flow.

The city helped pay for $4 million in improvements for the Butler Street ramp, according to city records.

"It is about the guest experience, and in the end, we want it to be the most positive," Van Offeren said.

Instead of closing the Butler Street ramp, she suggests putting up signage so people know what is straight ahead if they don't take the ramp.

"I understand they want business," she said.

Edmon said his predecessors should have taken the money spent on widening the Butler Street ramp and widened Cleveland Road instead.

"Dannie Edmon has been very active in making this happen without me talking to him," Sortino said. "I thanked him for bringing it to the attention of the area."

According to engineering records, there were talks about an overpass and acquiring property since 1965.

In October 1967, Sandusky City Commission passed an ordinance of necessity to acquire property to widen Butler Street and Milan Road.

In May 1968, construction began on overpass/ramp project, and by late 1968/early 1969, the ramp was built along with the railroad pedestrian bridge.

In 1997-98, Butler Street was widened to three lanes and the ramp was refurbished.

Butler Street Traffic Data

Weekday average (all lanes combined), May 2005, 5,686 vehicles/day

Weekend average (all lanes combined), May 2005, 9,803 vehicles/day

Weekday average (all lanes combined), June 2005, 8,813 vehicles/day

Weekend average (all lanes combined), June 2005, 15,215 vehicles/day

Weekday average (all lanes combined), July 2005, 11,434 vehicles/day

Weekend average (all lanes combined), July 2005, 15,343 vehicles/day

Weekday average (all lanes combined), August 2005, 11,672 vehicles/day

Weekend average (all lanes combined), August 2005, 13,994 vehicles/day

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