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CORTLAND -- Individuals driving through Cortland should be aware of two changes to usual traffic patterns that the city enacted earlier this month.
Mayor Deidre Petrosky announced that the traffic light at the intersection of state Route 46, state Route 5 and Warren Meadville Road would be changing from a continuous right turn to no turn on red for vehicles driving northbound.
The mayor also announced the posted speed limit on West Main Street has been increased from 20 mph to 25 mph to be in compliance with the Ohio Revised Code.
Petrosky said discussions regarding the traffic light change started in 2016 when GPD Group, a civil engineering firm based in Akron, was surveying city traffic patterns prior to the construction of the Lakeview Local School District's K-8 building.
"What we were trying to do was anticipate what the increased traffic would be when we built the new K-8 building," Petrosky said. "GPD evaluated the traffic patterns, and one of the things they determined was that rather than the continuous right turn there, it should be by arrow."
Petrosky said with the continuous right turn, the intersection created problems, as drivers who were traveling northbound and trying to turn right on red would often struggle to see oncoming traffic from Warren Meadville road.
"It's just not safe," Petrosky said.
Cortland police Chief David Morris agreed that the continuous right turn was dangerous for drivers.
"There were countless close calls, probably daily," Morris said. "It was kind of just a free-for-all going into that intersection."
Petrosky said northbound drivers will now be able to turn right onto state Route 5 with a green arrow. Previously, the traffic lights would be changed using a timer. Now, Petrosky said the intersection will be controlled with actuators. The mayor suggested the intersection will not only move traffic through more easily, it may also be faster.
"You're not going to have to sit there and wait," she said. "Actually, sometimes when you get the green arrow to turn right, now, you would be sitting there less time than you would've been before. Not only is it safer, it actually speeds the amount of traffic that you can get through there."
CHANGED SPEED LIMIT
While the speed limit on West Main Street had previously been posted at 20 mph, city officials could not figure out why.
"We could not find the basis for the 20 mph speed limit. 25 mph is what is in the traffic code. We changed to that so it can be enforceable," Petrosky said.
Morris said the Cortland Police Department has a speed sign that it places in areas around the city. Morris said the sign provides the city with driving statistics and he said the ones from the West Main Street survey were concerning.
"There were some periods of time where cars were going through there pretty quick," Morris said. "Just looking at potentially stepping up enforcement, we had some questions about that 20 mph speed limit. We felt like the 25 mph was more in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code."
Petrosky said Cortland City Council could have approved legislation to make the 20 mph speed limit standard, but it would not have made sense to do so.
Along with both of the changes, Cortland police will begin increasing traffic enforcement throughout the city.