Celina council advances traffic light ordinances

CELINA - City council members Monday night passed first reading of a pair of ordinances authorizing the installation of traffic lights at two intersections.

The ordinance for a traffic signal at the intersection of Havemann Road and the access road between Walmart and Menards easily moved on to second reading with a 6-1 vote. The no vote was from councilor Eric Clausen.  

The vote to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Myers Road and Meadowview Drive passed 4-3. Council members Mark Fleck, Bill Sell, June Scott and Myron Buxton all cast "yes" votes. Fred LeJeune, Jeff Larmore and Clausen voted "no."

City administrators estimate it may cost as much as $150,000 for each traffic signal and would be paid through the electric account.

Traffic studies conducted by the city found that a signal was warranted at the intersection of Havemann Road and the access road between Walmart and Menards but not at Myers Road and Meadowview Drive.

A group of residents who live near the intersection near Celina Manor and Yorkshire Apartments and area business owners has repeatedly advocated for a traffic signal, presenting council members with a petition containing 177 signatures in favor. Petitioners sought the signal due to safety concerns and chronic traffic congestion.

Clausen said it's unfortunate the intersection of Myers Road and Meadowview Drive doesn't meet the Ohio Department of Transportation's nine warrants for a traffic signal. He believes city funds can be better used than by putting up a signal.

"I understand that everybody in that area wants to do something here but those of us on council are not traffic authority people," Clausen said. "We have to rely on the state to give us some guidance in this area."

Council can still move to install a traffic light even though the intersection doesn't meet ODOT's threshold. But it could come with a risk, safety service director Tom Hitchcock said.

"As you got the email from our insurance company, it's unclear whether they would cover us in the result of an accident there that was caused by the traffic light, which could put the city fully responsible for any of those actions," he said.

Councilman Bill Sell noted that people in the area are frustrated with the congestion at the intersection. He asked city law director George Moore if he had a way to determine if the city would be at risk if an accident occurred at the intersection.

"The only way to find out is in the unfortunate event of an accident and the insurance company would make a determination, I would think, based on the facts and circumstances of that particular accident," Moore replied.

Councilman Fred LeJeune said the city has done its due diligence by conducting two traffic studies at the intersection. He said he doesn't feel comfortable installing a signal at this time.

"Again, Mr. Hitchcock basically is very clear that the data doesn't warrant the light," he said.

LeJeune said he recently drove through the intersection numerous times between 4-5 p.m one day.

"The latest I had to wait was one minute. I've had to wait a minute and half trying to turn on Ash and Market with a traffic light," LeJeune said. "So the only thing that a traffic light will do for sure on Myers is slow traffic down on Myers Road, so that may create another backlog of problems for traffic on that end of town."

Larmore worries about setting a precedent by installing a traffic signal without meeting state warrants.

"I can think of at least four or five other places that are just as bad in trying to cross, like at Warren and Ash," he said.

The traffic study for the Havemann Road intersection, taken on a Tuesday in September, supported warrant No. 2 of the state manual: four-hour vehicle volume. According to Hitchcock, it means that during four-hour periods on an average day the total traffic on Haveman Road in both directions - and the corresponding number of vehicles per hour on the access road - all surpass the applicable state requirements.

Second readings of the ordinances will be voted on at the next regular council meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 14 on the second floor of the city administration building.