Photo by Eric Ayres Wheeling City Councilman Dave Palmer speaks during a recent meeting. Palmer requested that the city administration look into a program to update street markings across the city, particularly on roadways where the lines have faded to a point where safety is a concern.

WHEELING – Officials in the city of Wheeling say road markings that have faded or disappeared altogether are traffic safety hazards the city can’t ignore. So they’re looking into updating those markings to give motorists a clear and safe path through some sensitive areas.

City Councilman Dave Palmer, who represents the Ward 6 neighborhood of Elm Grove, recently requested that the city administration take a look at making improvements to road striping – particularly on streets in the city where the lack of clear markings make it difficult for motorists to stay in their lane of travel.

Palmer said residents often ask about the city’s striping activities to keep roadways clearly marked.

“That’s a common question from a lot of constituents,” he said. “We have a lot of striping on our streets that is dated.”

The councilman indicated that the City Operations handled line painting in the past but no longer performs this work in-house.

“I understand that Operations no longer has the capabilities,” Palmer noted, requesting during the most recent city council meeting that City Manager Robert Herron explore the possibility of bringing an effort forward to mark all the roadways in town that need new lines.

“Can we possibly look into starting a project citywide going around looking to see if we can get some of these streets re-striped?” Palmer asked. “Lincoln Drive is a perfect example, going up. Junior Avenue that we recently paved, the lines are already gone. Those are just a couple that come to mind. So if we can look into that, I would appreciate it.”

Palmer, a retired firefighter who in his retirement has worked as a bus driver for Ohio County Schools, noted that the faded striping on the city streets can be hazardous in certain areas – particularly in school zones.

Herron said the city administration can certainly take a look at getting lines on the roadways in the city updated.

“We use a striping subcontractor now to do that work,” the city manager explained.

In other recent city action, Mayor Denny Magruder noted that he has been asked on a number of occasions when the next State of the City address will be delivered. Magruder previously stated that since he just took office in July, he intended to get a few months under his belt before providing the annual update from the mayor’s office – a practice that began several years ago and one he plans to continue, he said.

Magruder’s predecessor, former Mayor Glenn Elliott, had moved the date of the annual State of the City address to July due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Elliott decided to continue holding the event in late summer in order to avoid the appearance of having an incumbent advantage during municipal election years if the event is held a few months before in the winter, when it traditionally had taken place.

“We have scheduled that State of the City address for Jan. 28, 2025 at noon at the Wheeling Island Casino Showroom,” Magruder said.

The next meeting of Wheeling City Council is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. this Tuesday at the City-County Building on Chapline Street downtown.