Painesville traffic signal replacements expected to reduce congestion along Routes 20, 283
Aug. 19—The City of Painesville and the Ohio Department of Transportation plan to work next year on replacing portions of the city's traffic signal system dating from 2002, a change intended to reduce congestion and emissions along two of the city's major traffic corridors.
The changes will encompass the US Route 20 corridor and the State Route 283 and Richmond Street corridor. According to City Engineer Leanne Exum, new systems will be installed on Route 20 from the city's eastern limit with Painesville Township to Fern Drive, covering Erie Street and a segment of Mentor Avenue.
New systems will also be installed on Route 283 and Richmond Street from the intersection with Erie Street to the Fairport Harbor village line.
Exum explained that the city's current traffic signal technology, dating from the dial-up era, stopped connecting to a central computer system around three years ago. The central system allowed the city to monitor and schedule traffic signals.
The new fiber-based system, she noted, will allow ODOT to coordinate the city's traffic signals along Mentor Avenue through Painesville City and Painesville Township. There have been discussions about possibly extending the system through Mentor as well.
The goal is to improve the flow of traffic along the corridor, which Exum said would also reduce emissions. She does not expect that the replacement process will impact drivers.
City Manager Doug Lewis was authorized to cooperate with ODOT for the replacement project at the Aug. 15 City Council meeting. The legislation notes that the project will be partially funded by a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant, which is funding from the Federal Highway Administration that was awarded to the project by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency.
Exum said that the city completed a traffic study before applying for grant funding. The city will perform another study after the work is complete.
"We will re-evaluate and make sure that what we have programmed into the traffic lights is working as we have anticipated," she said.
Exum added that she hopes to eventually replace traffic signal systems throughout the city.
According to Exum, the total cost of the project is $770,550. Of that, the CMAQ grant will cover $367,500. An additional $238,750 will come from the city's electric fund, while the final $164,300 will come from the city's general fund.
