City Says It Will Change New Timed Traffic Signals to Trip-Signals in the Spring

If you've a little peeved about the timed traffic signals along North Main Street, just remember: they won't be that way for long.

One North Canton resident blogged about the inconvenience of the new timed signals this week — specifically the signal at North Main Street and Wilbur Drive — saying, "I travel that area frequently and I never could understand the need for this signal originally, and it has now been compounded by placing it on timed activation."

City Administrator Mike Grimes said the timed activation will change to a tripped-activation in the spring.

The city had turned the four-lane road into five lanes through the North Main Street Reconstruction Project, and workers didn't get around to changing the traffic signals before the weather took a turn for the worst.

"The whole project is not finished yet, so they kind of buttoned it up for the winter because there are just some things they can't do in the winter," Grimes said. "Once the warm weather comes back, we'll get back to completing that project."

In addition to the traffic lights, workers also will install new light poles and masts as well as traffic surveillance cameras (not red light cameras) so the traffic signal knows when to change.

Grimes said the city also will work on its Main Street Traffic Signal Coordination Project in the spring. That project was discussed at North Canton City Council in March 2012.

"It's going to take a look and rewire a bunch of the signals from South Main city limits to north city limits," Grimes said. "It will sync those lights to improve flow."

North Canton Patch readers commented on the recent traffic blog post, and a few said they don't care for the "no turn on red" signs at several intersections throughout the city.

Those, Grimes said, have much to do with safety and are placed throughout the city at the discretion of those the police department and those in charge of traffic projects.