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Squeeze at freeway blamed for U-turns
(by Mike Klimko - September 11, 2008)
Squeeze at freeway blamed for U-turns
By MIKE KLIMKO
Some light appears to have been shed this summer on what causes motorists in Solon to use residents' driveways in the Carriage Park neighborhood for turnarounds.
Field observations in July by engineering consultants concluded that the driveways are used in part by motorists who want to drive west on the Route 422 freeway but are blocked from the entrance ramp as they head north on SOM Center Road (Route 91).
The apparent cause of the traffic influx to Carriage Park Drive was reported this week to City Council's safety and public properties committee by Judith Bennett, Solon's assistant traffic engineer. "The most likely factor contributing to the turnaround traffic is people who are either unfamiliar with the area or are unable to get into the right-hand-turn lane to use the ramp to westbound U.S. 422."
The conclusion was based upon a survey of traffic in the area on July 18 and 22 by URS engineering consultants. The data was collected at the request of the committee.
None of the vehicles seen turning around on Carriage Park had turned north from the westbound exit ramp from Route 422 to SOM Center Road and then headed south, according to Ms. Bennett. Members of the Solon traffic task force at one point suspected westbound vehicles exiting the freeway were turning into Carriage Park in order to reverse direction southbound on SOM Center Road, she said.
"In the morning, westbound traffic on the U.S. 422 ramp backs up, with most people wanting to turn left toward downtown Solon," Ms. Bennett said of the traffic pattern. "If there is a long queue of traffic, drivers can turn right on red, turn around in Carriage Park and head back south on SOM rather than waiting for multiple cycles of the signal."
A way to reduce the likelihood of vehicles driving north on SOM Center Road from the exit and doubling back would be to reset the time of the cycle of the signal to allow more time for vehicles to turn south from Route 422, she said.
The number of turnarounds in Carriage Park was 36 over the two days of observations, including 13 U-turns at the intersection with SOM Center Road. U-turns were made over the course of a day, including six during the morning, six at midday and one in the evening. Five U-turns were recorded July 18, eight on July 22.
"The majority of those turning around on Carriage Park occurred on Tuesday, July 22, with 32. Those were fairly evenly split over the day, 11 in the morning, nine in the midday and 12 in the evening," Ms. Bennett said.
Members of the task force suspected turnarounds may have been made by northbound motorists who were blocked by traffic from turning into restaurants south of the freeway interchange, she said, or by others who did not know the area.
"They continue north on SOM Center, turn around in Carriage Park and head back south to make a right into Bob Evans," Ms. Bennett said. A connector road off Kruse Road to the Davis Auto Campus would ease traffic, she said.
"People unfamiliar with the area may exit U.S. 422 westbound, head south into town to eat, then don't realize that the U.S. 422 ramp is a loop on their right, rather than a left-hand turn," she said.
"Once they realize they missed the ramp, they turn around at the first available place and head back to use the diamond ramp from southbound SOM Center. A remedy for this would be to modify the signs and provide a marked U-turn area."
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