Paradox in Valley: Population declines, but traffic increases
YOUNGSTOWN
The Mahoning Valley is faced with the paradox of traffic congestion along some key roads and at certain major intersections, despite many decades of population decline triggered by job losses.
U.S. Census figures show Mahoning County’s population has declined steadily from its peak of 303,424 in 1970 to 238,823 in 2010.
Trumbull County’s population has declined steadily from its peak of 241,863 in 1980 to 210,312 in the most recent complete Census in 2010.
The explanations for this paradox vary, depending on the specific locations.
Interstate 80
The Ohio Department of Transportation kicked off on June 16 the repaving and widening of six miles of Interstate 80 from Austintown to Liberty to accommodate increasing truck traffic on this major cross-country route.
The Mahoning Valley is a “major convergence point” for interstate highways, noted Hunter Morrison, senior adviser to the Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium, a long-range regional planning organization.
That three-year, $108.4 million safety improvement project will widen the road from four to six lanes and include replacement of six bridges.
“We have over 60,000 vehicles (a day) passing through the area. They’re not all staying in our area,” said Kathleen Rodi, transportation director at the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments.
Read the full story Monday in the Vindicator and on Vindy.com as part of our special report on America's crumbling infrastructure.