Summit County is inviting locals to attend a free housing and transportation speaker series event Thursday. There, experts will debunk some of the biggest myths of affordable housing, community development and transportation, as well as get feedback on long-term goals.
Housing Authority Director Madlyn McDonough said one of the biggest myths is that affordable housing causes traffic, but the inverse is more accurate.
“In 2002, we imported about 56% of our labor, and in 2026 we're importing about 65% of our labor. So there is a big impact on traffic,” she said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Wednesday. “It makes it difficult for our businesses to find employees who are willing and able to make the commute up if they don't live in the community.”
Summit County Transportation Director Carl Miller said people often think housing and jobs can be separated and that another lane on the road will fix the problem. That’s another myth.
“I keep a quote on my desk from Lewis Mumford that says adding highway lanes to deal with traffic congestion is like loosening your belt to cure obesity,” he said. “It kind of gets at the symptom, but not really the cause, which is people are too far away from their jobs.”
Miller said housing and transportation are really the same issue. He said if they are planned together in a holistic approach — putting housing where roads and transit stops already exist — then residents will have more options to get around the community.
In 20 years, the county hopes to see community members spending less time in traffic and more time enjoying their lives.
“Moving housing and jobs and services closer together and providing better connections really improve the quality of life for everybody,” Miller said.
To aid in that goal, the county is asking locals to attend the speaker series and ask questions. McDonough said one of the most important things to provide feedback on is development code, which the county is planning to alter as part of its long-term goals of holistic transportation and housing.
The first speaker series event is March 12 at the Mountain Regional Water building on 5739 Paintbrush Rd. from 5-7 p.m.
Summit County is a financial supporter of KPCW.
