Youngstown, Ohio Speed Traps

After turning off of Bears Den Rd,(35 mph)traveling east on Old Furnace Rd.(25 mph) at about 500′ you come to a hill. Most people still traveling at 35 mph or better hit the hill and thier speed increases, most people who get tickets are doing well over 40 mph when clocked by Mr. Police Man sitting at the side street at the bottom of the hill.

Police catch unsuspecting traffic on 680 south just as it crosses Meridian where it goes from 65 to 50 mph. They don’t even give you time to coast down to, say, below 60. One of my out of town customers got a ticket and a bad impression of Youngstown recently!

State police park near B&R wholesale tire, and shoot south bound cars on the downhill grade south of Mahoning avenue. The prevailing traffic is 45 to 50 mph and the speed limit is 35. I don’t condone 50 in a 35, but if you are just moving with existing traffic, it is easy to be there. I don’t really see a problem with unsafe speeds on Meridian (it is a four lane road with lots of sight distance everywhere) but the State boys are there all the time.

The law enforcement have the advatage heading both directs. They tag you heading south after rounding the turn following the 711 ramp. When heading north they sit out of site on top of the hill and under the bridge right before the Meridian Rd exit. Also, speed limit reduces from 65 to 50 heading North. Best bet is to take it easy until you can clearly see down the straight away.

As a FORMER resident of this city …Let me FIRST say that pity the person that relies on the Youngstown Police Dept. The officer will sit in the median on the OUT BOUND lane of the expressway
Writing tickets to the people a mear 1/2 mle from the city limit.
( if the police realy wanted to " protect " the public from recivious speeders, would it not make sense to run the speed trap INBOUND to the city ?? )
The speed limit changes from 50 to 65 as you exit the city…so of course officers would Naturally feel like he is of value by ticketing traffic less than a 1/2 mile from the speed zone change,
No wonder the town looks like a western ghost town !!