Cruising, a long-standing problem for downtown Ironton businesses and residents attempting to maneuver through weekend traffic, is getting better, Ironton Mayor Bob Cleary reports.

Monday, May 08, 2000

Cruising, a long-standing problem for downtown Ironton businesses and residents attempting to maneuver through weekend traffic, is getting better, Ironton Mayor Bob Cleary reports.

Clearer traffic on the weekends is largely due to Ironton Police Department officials who are writing more tickets and getting tougher on violators of the no-cruise zone, Cleary said.

"I think word is getting out," Cleary told members of Ironton City Council’s finance committee Thursday. "Two officers have written more than 50 tickets and it looks like word of the strict enforcement is spreading, because traffic is noticeably lighter on weekend nights."

Increased ticketing has brought some disgruntled parents in to complain about the strict enforcement, Cleary added.

"The administration has taken a lot of heat over this, but the businesses and residents deserve to be able to drive through downtown Ironton on the weekends," he said. "Several parents have come into my office about the tickets."

Businesses, however, have reported the traffic is noticeably lighter, Cleary said, although he did not cite which businesses reported the change in traffic.

Additionally, Ironton’s court system is working well with the city administration and police department to ensure the citations are enforced, he said.

"The courts have worked very well with us, giving us cooperation and helping us to enforce the laws by enforcing the payment of the tickets," he said. "The police department has really been concentrating on this."

Despite a smaller staff after layoffs earlier this year, the city and the department remain committed to the effort, Cleary said.

"We’re going to continue this program with minimal overtime for as long as we possibly can – indefinitely, even," he said. "Now a family can drive through downtown on the weekend nights and not worry about getting caught in horrible traffic."

For businesses, fewer cruisers mean less littering and incidents of vandalism in front of stores, Cleary added.

It also means better customer counts for businesses that have extended evening hours, such as restaurants, he said.

"Retailers have said that business has picked up on weekend nights," he said. "Families shouldn’t have to fight that kind of traffic if they want to come to downtown Ironton on the weekends to shop or eat."