Canfield

Canfield to get new traffic signals and cameras

By J.T. Whitehouse

POSTED: July 22, 2010

Save | Print | Email | Read comments | Post a comment

At Wednesday’s Canfield City Council meeting, approval was given to seek funds to put a state-of-the-art traffic signal system on U.S. 224 at Hillside and the Village Green. If all goes well, the new system won’t cost residents a dime.

“We’re getting 80 percent from federal funds,” said city manager Joe Warino. “The remaining 20 percent we are anticipating will come from stimulus money.”

Council approved the resolution at Wednesday’s meeting to apply for the federal dollars that will come from the Federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Funds. The new signals would be controllable from the Canfield Police Department. By observing the cameras, the traffic flow can be dealt with instantly. It would no longer require a patrol officer to open the signal control box at the intersection and manually throw the switches to change the traffic light pattern.

Warino said the new system will feature LED lighting, and radio frequency cameras.

Regarding other streets such as Glenview and Hilltop, Warino informed council that data on speeding is being gathered.

“We borrowed the speed sensor from the Boardman Police,” he said. “We started with it on Glenview and moved it to Hilltop (last week).”

The device is a small white trailer that let’s motorists see how fast they are actually going. At the same time, Warino said it collects and stores data on the average speed and how many are exceeding the speed limit. He said the data will be helpful in determining problem areas within the city.

In other business:

• Council approved Chuck Tieche and Madalyn Janosik to fill the two vacancies on the city’s Income Tax Review Board.

• City resident Frank Micchia addressed council about the speeding issues on and around Glenview as well stressing his concern over loud vehicles operating in the city limits.

• Council approved the purchase of a new K9 officer at a cost of $12,500 that will include the dog and training associated with it. The present K9 dog is nearing the limit of use and will soon be up for retirement.

• Council was informed that a lien had been filed on the El Patio motel property for $5,000 to cover the cost of boarding it up in 2009.

• Council approved and ordinance to declare the property on Palmyra Road, owned by the city, as surplus so that it could be sold off.