Prescription sought for congestion

A new study aims at solutions to the traffic problems.
BOARDMAN -- Most local residents know that to get anywhere in Boardman and Poland quickly, it's advisable to stay away from U.S. Route 224.
Congestion abounds as motorists travel to the many shopping and dining destinations along the route.
The Ohio Department of Transportation and Eastgate Regional Council of Governments will conduct an open house from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in the cafeteria at Glenwood Middle School, Glenwood Avenue, to hear from the public about problems they encounter traveling the road.
Study begins
ODOT is in the early stages of a study of the corridor ultimately aimed at finding solutions.
"It's something that's definitely been an ongoing problem for a long time," said Jennifer Richmond, an ODOT District 4 spokeswoman. "That's why we're beginning the process of looking into potential solutions."
Kathy Miller, a township trustee, said residents have been complaining about the 224 congestion for years.
"I think it's a really good idea," Miller said of the study. "The feedback I've had from people has been excellent."
As a trustee, Miller was assigned to participate in a citizens group that was asked to provide input on 224 problems. Other groups included businesses and safety forces.
"What I've found is that the citizens really have a different focus than the businesses and the safety forces," she said. "They just want to be able to get in and out of their driveways and their homes."
The study area focuses on the six-mile stretch of U.S. 224 between Interstate 680 and state Route 11. Although the solutions recommended will focus on U.S. 224 itself, the study also will cover some of the streets that feed into the corridor.
The study is funded with $500,000 from Ohio Department of Transportation and another $500,000 from Eastgate Regional Council of Governments. URS Consultants of Akron was hired to conduct the study. URS expects to suggest solutions by early 2006.
The Eastgate study, prepared by Bill Barlow, a project planner, shows that between 2000 and 2003, there were 122 crashes at the 224-South Avenue intersection. That was followed by the Market Street intersection with 114 and Tiffany Boulevard at 85.
The six-mile segment of U.S. 224 between I-680 and state Route 11 saw more than 2,000 accidents between 2000 and 2003.
The main causes of those accidents were following too closely and failure to yield. Also according to the study, portions of U.S. 224 carry more than 36,000 vehicles per day.
Alternate routes
The accidents sometimes follow when motorists use one of the popular cut-throughs to avoid the congested road.
To avoid the Market Street-224 intersection, for example, drivers opt for Meadowbrook Avenue, Roche Way and Cadillac Drive. That results in more accidents at the intersections of Market and those cut-through streets, Eastgate found.
After the study, the next step is development of concepts aimed at solutions. Those will be narrowed to a preferred alternative before construction may start. That process is an expensive one, Richmond said.
How long before construction begins depends on the recommendations and the funding mechanisms available, she said.