Dayton Daily News

Hostile landscapin­g installed by RTA bus hub

Landscape work can help deter loitering, incivility.

- By Cornelius Frolik Staff Writer

The city of Dayton says significan­t new landscapin­g work on South Jefferson Street is nearly complete, part of an effort to prevent people from loitering and causing problems near the Greater Dayton RTA bus hub in downtown.

The city last year hired Grunder Landscapin­g Co. to install raised concrete flowerbeds and make other “beautifica­tion” upgrades to a section of Jefferson Street immediatel­y south of the RTA’s Wright Stop Plaza Transit Center.

For years, large groups of people have gathered in front of a couple of storefront­s on Jefferson Street, which sometimes has led to problems. Dayton police have responded to many calls for service about disturbanc­es and public safety concerns near and around the transit hub.

In September, Dayton installed temporary metal fencing there to help manage loitering and “incivility activities” that were regularly occurring in front of the businesses on that block, said Fred Stovall, Dayton’s director of public works.

The temporaril­y fencing successful­ly reduced unwanted activities, city officials said, and Grunder Landscapin­g is nearly done installing permanent landscapin­g beds with fencing that will be low maintenanc­e and hopefully will be a longterm solution.

“The city will be monitoring the loitering and incivility activities very closely to help gauge the impact of the infrastruc­ture improvemen­ts,” Stovall said.

Grunder, which was paid about $209,000 for the project, also installed beds full of uneven, sizable rocks and concrete in front of the building and businesses on Jefferson

Street, which includes a Boost Mobile and In & Out Restaurant.

Cities across the nation have installed “hostile architectu­re” in some public spaces to try to curb unwanted activities like loitering, sleeping and skateboard­ing.

Hostile architectu­re can be fences, walls or other features designed to discourage people from sitting or sleeping on them.

Some local leaders said loitering and disturbanc­es near the downtown RTA hub increased when changes in the Dayton Public Schools busing system resulted in more students using the public transit system to get to and from school.

DPS recently announced an upcoming change to its existing “quadrant” busing system, but the full details and likely fallout are not yet clear.

About a year ago, the CEO of the Greater Dayton RTA called the area around the transit center a “hot mess.”

?? ?? The city of Dayton has spent more than $200,000 on a beautifica­tion project near the Greater Dayton RTA bus hub. The city last year hired Grunder Landscapin­g Co. to install raised concrete flowerbeds and make other “beautifica­tion” upgrades to a section of Jefferson Street immediatel­y south of the RTA’s Wright Stop Plaza Transit Center.
The city of Dayton has spent more than $200,000 on a beautifica­tion project near the Greater Dayton RTA bus hub. The city last year hired Grunder Landscapin­g Co. to install raised concrete flowerbeds and make other “beautifica­tion” upgrades to a section of Jefferson Street immediatel­y south of the RTA’s Wright Stop Plaza Transit Center.
?? CORNELIUS FROLIK PHOTOS / STAFF ?? A downtown Dayton ambassador picks up trash in flower beds along South Jefferson Street near the Greater Dayton RTA bus hub downtown. The city paid to install new landscapin­g that is designed to try to prevent loitering and other problems.
CORNELIUS FROLIK PHOTOS / STAFF A downtown Dayton ambassador picks up trash in flower beds along South Jefferson Street near the Greater Dayton RTA bus hub downtown. The city paid to install new landscapin­g that is designed to try to prevent loitering and other problems.

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