FAA project will lead to removal of blinking traffic lights in Oberlin

OBERLIN — Flashing traffic lights will be removed from four well-traveled intersections on the advice of Oberlin City Engineer Randall Roberts. The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking to rework the East Lorain Street entrance to its air traffic control center, where there are reportedly about 500 employees. The project would entail removing an island and realigning the exit lane from the compound. Briefing City Council on Monday night, Roberts said the proposal prompted him to look into whether to keep blinking traffic lights installed there. What he found was surprising — drivers are often confused by the signals, which don't actually lead to a significant reduction in crashes, Roberts said. Some drivers believe flashing lights always signal a four-way stop, he said. That's just not true. The confusion was so great that Minnesota got rid of its blinking traffic lights. "And that weighs pretty heavy with me," Roberts said. The Ohio Department of Transportation apparently agrees. It doesn't recommend the use of flashing traffic signals unless there are extenuating circumstances. Roberts said lights should be removed from not only the FAA entrance but also the intersections of East Lorain Street and Oberlin Road, Oberlin Road and East College Street and West Lorain and Woodland streets. That recommendation was made after he studied crashes within 250 feet of all four spots between 2011 and 2022. Statistics show the intersection of East Lorain and Oberlin Road had 31 crashes. The others were all in the single digits. Roberts argued that those numbers don't justify keeping flashing traffic lights up and running. At the worst intersection, 23 crashes happened because a driver failed to yield, Roberts said. In a majority of those cases, the driver had stopped prior to the collision. An independent firm called GPD agreed with Roberts' conclusions. A combination of stop signs and other warning signs are in the mix to replace the lights. City Council Vice President Kelley Singleton asked whether a traffic circle had been considered for East College and Oberlin. Randall said it had not, but asserted that they are the safest type of intersection. "It could be feasible to put a traffic circle there," he said. Based on a speed zone study — and considering the recent opening of the new Oberlin Elementary School nearby — Roberts said there may also be cause to lower the speed limit from 35 mph to 25 mph along East Lorain Street. ODOT would have to approve that change, however. Having students walking across the street is reason enough to lower the speed limit, Roberts said. A driver traveling at 35 mph is less likely to stop for a pedestrian entering a crosswalk than a driver going 25 mph, he said. Under Oberlin's charter, the city manager can have the flashing traffic lights removed by executive order, so long as council does not object. Singleton asked Monday whether there were any objections, and his fellow elected officials remained silent. Jason Hawk can be reached at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.