Colorado-Carleen Intersection May Get Traffic Light

Residents of the Stonebridge and Northgate neighborhoods could be getting the traffic light they want at the intersection of Colorado and Carleen Avenues sometime this year.

City engineer Robert Knopf said during Monday's work session for City Council that early results from a traffic study commissioned by the city show that if the is raised from 35 to 45 miles an hour in that area, as the Ohio Department of Transportation wants it to be raised, a traffic light would be warranted. ODOT is involved because Colorado Avenue is also State Route 611.

The study, which Knopf said should be completed by the end of the week, is being done by TMS Engineers of Stow.

"(A traffic light) is going to allow for easier access to (Colorado Avenue) for both Stonebridge and Northgate residents, especially during peak traffic," Knopf said. "Also, it slows traffic in general."

Mayor Jim Smith estimated it would cost the city about $85,000 to install the new signal. Once the ODOT and TMS studies are accepted, Knopf said, council can appropriate the money and the project can begin.

When the traffic signal goes in, planning coordinator Jim Piazza said, city codes require that a crosswalk with an automated system also be installed. That will make it easier for Stonebridge residents to walk to .

director Jerry Plas said that it could take 4 to 6 months to get the post and mast for the traffic lights.