Seeking directions through gridlock

A $1 million study begins next year on how to reduce congestion on Route 224.
BOARDMAN -- Fed up with traffic congestion and accidents along the U.S. Route 224 strip, local residents on Thursday suggested better signage, highly visible addresses on buildings and more turning lanes to improve the situation.
"From Thanksgiving to Christmas, you can't travel on that road without gridlock," said resident Paul Schuler.
Schuler proposed constructing roads behind shopping centers and stores as a means of drawing cars off and reducing congestion on Route 224.
Input committee
He was among a dozen residents who met as a citizens input committee in the township hall's conference room to provide suggestions to guide an upcoming yearlong $1 million study on how to reduce the traffic congestion and improve safety along the street.
"We need better signage on Route 224. It's hard to see what intersection is coming up as you drive along," said Krystine Toth, another resident. "There is no addresses on the buildings, making it difficult to find a store or business."
Toth also described the 5-mile strip of chain store and fast-food outlets as being very "unfriendly to pedestrians," lacking any sidewalks or means to cross the busy thoroughfare on foot.
Danny Mytinger, another resident, said adding exits onto state Route 11, such as to Western Reserve Road or Kirk Road, might eliminate traffic backups at the Routes 11 and 224 interchange.
He also said traffic lights are not coordinated properly to facilitate traffic flow.
Coordination
William Barlow, a project manager for the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, arranged the meeting along with Kathy Miller, a Boardman trustee.
Miller invited the residents to gather ideas from other cities that have sought to solve their traffic problems and present them to her or Barlow for use in the study.
"We need a comprehensive plan to solve the problems," Barlow said. "If we can generate ideas and concepts before the consultant is on board, we can make better use of the money available for the study."
He explained that the state Department of Transportation will supply $500,000 for the study, which will be matched by Eastgate.
He said about 32,000 vehicles travel down Route 224 in a typical day, likely more during the holiday period.
The Boardman roadway section is plagued each year by about 2,000 accidents. Most of the crashes occur at major intersections, Barlow said.
Funding the improvements
While the study is scheduled to be completed by December 2005, it will take several years to find the money to fund improvements, Barlow said.
Rather than just addressing the problems on Route 224, the study should also take into account the impact of the traffic on local roads parallel to and intersecting with Route 224 in the shopping area, he said.
He explained that the traffic mess often spills over onto local streets as residents seek to get around gridlock on Route 224.
To make his point, he presented maps showing the local streets police use to avoid traffic while responding to a call on Route 224 or in a close-by neighborhood.
The problems on Route 224 are not unique to Boardman, he said, explaining such situations are typical on commercial streets in cities and towns throughout the Midwest.