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Dayton Daily News
Dayton Business

BY THOMAS GNAU
Friday, March 28, 2025
 
 

The American Trucking Associations projected in January that after two years of declines, truck volumes will grow 1.6% this year nationally, rising to nearly 14 billion tons by 2035.

If you want economic growth, then you want a wide array of functioning transportation modes. Of those modes, trucking contributed the most to U.S. gross domestic product in 2022, at $588.3 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Closer to home, truck traffic, especially in and near Vandalia, Union and northern Montgomery County, has been growing for a while.

Why big trucks are a big problem in Vandalia

The newly constructed roundabout at Union Airpark Blvd. and Dog Leg Road near the Dayton International Airport is designed to improve truck traffic flow through the commercial development in the area. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

The newly constructed roundabout at Union Airpark Blvd. and Dog Leg Road near the Dayton International Airport is designed to improve truck traffic flow through the commercial development in the area. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

The situation: Law enforcement and city government leaders were flying to Washington, D.C. Tuesday to ask lawmakers to get a handle on a growing problem — big, heavy trucks.

There 413 bridges in Montgomery County. Of those, 36 would not hold 91,000-pound semi-trucks, said Kurt Althouse, police chief and interim city manager for Vandalia.

Against bigger trucks: Althouse joined in DC the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks, a nonprofit organization that for decades has lobbied against federal legislation that would let trucks get longer or heavier.

Return-to-work order brings ‘several thousand’ additional vehicles to Wright-Patt

Traffic flows through Gate 12A onto Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in tis 2019 photo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Michelle Gigante)

Traffic flows through Gate 12A onto Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in tis 2019 photo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Michelle Gigante)

Return-to-work impact: Another transportation story: After January’s federal return-to-work orders for federal employees, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base expected changes.

The base, after all, is home to nearly 40,000 military and civilian employees.

What they’re saying: “We anticipated an increase in traffic following the return-to-work executive order and took steps to facilitate the flow through our gates and entry control points,” Col. Sean Brazel, 88th Mission Support Group commander, said in response to recent questions. “Currently, we estimate several thousand additional vehicles are entering Wright Patterson Air Force Base each day.”

Home sales drop, as prices and competition heat up

House for sale on Woodman Drive in Riverside. According to Dayton Realtors Multiple Listing Service, there were 751 transactions reported during January, a 14.9% decrease compared to January 2024. MARSHALL GORBY/STAFF

House for sale on Woodman Drive in Riverside. According to Dayton Realtors Multiple Listing Service, there were 751 transactions reported during January, a 14.9% decrease compared to January 2024. MARSHALL GORBY/STAFF

What happened: Dayton-area home sales saw a decline in volume in February, but prices rose compared to the same period in 2024.

Year to date, median and average sale prices have increased 6.1% and 3.9%, respectively.

What they’re saying: “Prices are holding, and that’s solely because of inventory,” said Austin Castro, a team leader at Coldwell Banker. ”Everybody wants to talk about interest rates, everybody wants to talk about external economic factors, the stock market, politics, things like that. You can tell that’s a whole lot more volatile than it was a couple of months ago. However, inventory is still down and prices are up.“

Five Seasons Sports Club to close next month

Children get a head start on their tennis games in the Quickstart junior tennis program at the Five Seasons Family Sports Club. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Children get a head start on their tennis games in the Quickstart junior tennis program at the Five Seasons Family Sports Club. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

What will happen: Five Seasons Family Sports Club is set to close its doors next month.

The business posted to its website that it will “cease operations” April 21 at 4242 Clyo Road in Sugarcreek Twp., right on the Centerville border, east of Wilmington Pike.

Location, location, location: The club is adjacent to a property where Oberer Companies is planning to build Cornerstone of Centerville South, a 72-acre mixed use development.

A concept plan for that site shows 16 buildings, including three restaurants, two hotels, multiple office/retail buildings and an “entertainment site area.”

New Trump executive order hits law firm with Dayton-area offices

An image of the Newmark Office Park building into which law firm WilmerHale plans to move, from NAIBergman marketing material. Contributed.

An image of the Newmark Office Park building into which law firm WilmerHale plans to move, from NAIBergman marketing material. Contributed.

The order: The latest executive order from the White House seeking to punish a law firm targets a firm with a Dayton-area presence, WilmerHale.

The executive order from President Donald Trump, issued Thursday, directs his attorney general and director of national intelligence to suspend security clearances for the firm’s employees. The order also aims to cancel government contracts with the firm, which employed Robert S. Mueller III. Mueller, who is no longer with the firm, spearheaded an investigation into Russian attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election.

What the firm says: “We remain committed to providing the expert representation that our clients are entitled to and rely upon. We look forward to pursuing all appropriate remedies to this unlawful order.”

Contact me: Thanks for being here. Tell me about your business at tom.gnau@coxinc.com or on X, where direct messages are open. I’m also on LinkedIn and on our Dayton Business page, with my colleagues.

Quick hits

How waffle fries might save Big Boy Restaurant Group: An updated menu at work.

Dayton Realtors president: Died Monday.

Dollar Tree sells Family Dollar: For $1 billion.

Former Huber Y campus sold: To a new owner with plans.

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