Two Niles intersections to see increased use of radar, citations



Officers will issue citations, not warnings.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Residents in two neighborhoods on the city's North Side will see more police presence as opposed to the stop signs they originally requested.
Mayor Ralph A. Infante and Safety Director Maurice Guarino ordered city police officers to run radar and issue citations, not warnings, to speeders at the intersections of Old Forge and Brentwood avenues and Moreland and Frederick streets.
The intersections -- located in neighborhoods west of state Route 46 just before U.S. Route 422 -- are two of 28 former four-way stops throughout the city. Currently each intersection is a two-way stop.
Infante and Guarino issued the orders to officers after residents attended a council meeting this week, looking to have the four-way stops reinstated. Councilman Frank Fuda, who sponsored legislation to put the stop signs back, said residents were concerned about accidents in recent years and speeding motorists they think could be controlled by stop signs.
State study
A 1994 citywide study by the Ohio Department of Highway Safety determined 28 intersections throughout the city did not meet the established criteria to maintain four-way stops. In most cases, stops signs were removed on the more major thoroughfares and left on the side streets.
The criteria, as explained to residents and council by city Engineer Mark Hess, include five or more accidents at an intersection in a 12-month period or more than 500 cars per hour for an eight-hour stretch.
Infante, who was opposed to reinstating the stop signs, assured residents that extra patrols would be in the areas and that a machine owned by the city that displays speeds could be set up.
Dispatch logs from the police department indicate the extra safety measures will begin immediately, but do not state how long they will be in place.
slshaulis@vindy.com

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