ODOT: Municipalities can't have speed-camera equipment affixed on state routes

YOUNGSTOWN — A representative from the Ohio Department of Transportation says they are alerting municipalities today that they are maintaining their order not to affix permanent speed-camera equipment to interstates and state routes.

Permits requests to have speed-camera equipment on those routes will be denied.

After reviewing the order to take down all speed camera signs from those routes, however, ODOT decided to allow the municipalities to attach speed camera signs to city limit signs in order to ensure transparency.

The representative said ODOT doesn't have the authority to make a ruling on police operating hand held cameras on state owned routes.

The review started when Girard applied for a permit to have speed camera equipment attached on state Route 711, the representative said.

ODOT representatives will meet with the mayors and administrators of the municipalities that received orders in late July to keep speed camera equipment and signage off the highways to explain their revised decision.

Those municipalities are Girard, Weathersfield, Hubbard, Youngstown, Liberty, Howland and Hubbard Township.