TRUMBULL COUNTY Taking questions on traffic analysis

No proposed configurations will be discussed at the meeting.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Those involved with a study aimed at improving traffic flow in the area emanating from state Routes 82 and 46 want to make sure they've targeted all of the public's concerns.
An informational open house on the Trumbull 422 traffic corridor analysis is set for 4 p.m. Feb. 26 at Howland Middle School with a question-and-answer period set for 7 p.m.
Michael R. McCarthy, deputy director of transportation for Burgess & amp; Niple, the Akron engineering firm working on the study, said safety concerns and traffic problems will be presented and attendees can offer information on problems not presented.
"We want to make sure that the problems we've determined are the same problems the public perceives as well," McCarthy said.
No proposed configurations will be discussed. That is likely to come at another meeting, likely in April. A tentative timeline has preferred alternatives being presented to the public this summer.
Kathleen Rodi, director of transportation for Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, said a study team meets monthly and is working on configurations. Team members include representatives of Eastgate, Ohio Department of Transportation, Warren, Niles, Howland and the North Road Preservation Alliance.
Cost
The cost of the full study hasn't been determined but it's expected to top $7 million and will include federal and state funds.
"This is very significant to the area," Rodi said. "There's a lot of growth going on there. It's very critical to do this the right way."
Under federal transportation guidelines, the study is to come up with solutions for 2025 traffic conditions, McCarthy said.
"We're not just looking to solve problems that are out there but problems that are going to be out there as well," he said.
That's done based on trends.
Bill Barlow, project manager at Eastgate, said that although the area's population has decreased in recent years, the number of car trips per household is growing.
The number of vehicle miles traveled per household nearly doubled from 1969 to 2001, he said.
denise.dick@vindy.com