Powell’s roads are safer due to Sawmill Parkway enforcement campaign
Published on September 10, 2026
The Powell Police Department has successfully concluded its 2026 S.A.F.E. (Sawmill Parkway Awareness and Focused Enforcement) Passage Initiative along the Sawmill Parkway corridor for the second year in a row.
Running from May 1 through Labor Day weekend, Sept. 7, the targeted campaign focused on high visibility, proactive enforcement and public education to improve driver behavior between Home Road and Seldom Seen Road, an area with the highest speed limit and a history of serious traffic incidents.
Recognizing that traffic safety doesn’t stop at City borders, Powell officers collaborated with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol to extend enforcement along the full length of Sawmill Parkway.
The results are clear; Sawmill Parkway is safer since the initiative began in 2025. From May 1 to Sept. 7 Powell Police officers conducted 281 traffic stops resulting in 237 warnings and 44 citations, which reflects an emphasis on voluntary compliance and driver education.
This shows a significant drop in stops and citations compared to 2025’s initiative when officers conducted 480 traffic stops, giving 396 warnings and 84 citations.
“While we still catch a few extreme speeders, overall citations are down because most people are driving responsibly,” City of Powell Deputy Chief of Police Scott Roach said.
Recent traffic survey data backs this up, reporting a consistent downward trend in average speeds, 85th percentile speeds and overall pace along the corridor compared to 2025’s initiative timeframe. There were also fewer resident complaints about aggressive driving and loud exhaust during this year’s initiative.
While there was an uptick in collisions in the enforcement area, the number of injury collisions remains 50% lower than before the initiative began in 2024. The 2024 baseline of injury-producing collisions was eight and only four were recorded during 2026’s campaign.
“The results from this year's S.A.F.E. Passage Initiative show real progress along Sawmill Parkway,” Roach said. “By maintaining a strong, visible presence, we’ve driven down average speeds and cut serious injury crashes in half compared to where we were two years ago.”
While the S.A.F.E. Passage Initiative has formally concluded, Powell Police officers will maintain an enforcement presence along Sawmill Parkway.
“The work on this corridor isn't done,” Roach said. “Sawmill Parkway remains a daily priority for our department, and our officers will continue to monitor traffic, enforce safety laws and maintain a visible presence to keep our roads safe year-round.”