A new traffic light by the Meijer on Mahoning Avenue in Austintown has been up and running for a little over a week now - but the new pattern is causing some issues. Business owners in the center next to the light say turning left to enter their parking lot has been a nightmare. 

Cars coming West down the road have a new left turn arrow. That lane will get drivers into the Chickfila - but the problem is some cars don’t realize you can keep going, underneath the light, and make a safe left into the business center.

“The left turn is a little nerve racking …it’s a little tricky getting in here,” Lawrence Schmetterer, who operates his Thoracic & Vascular Surgery, Venous Disease business in the center, said. “The last thing in the world we want to see is anybody getting into an accident out there and some people have come in a little bit frazzled and it’s only going to get worse.” 

On top of that, some cars on the eastbound side are not stopping at the white stop bar and block the entrance to the parking lot even though there’s a sign.

“It’s a safety issue because if someone doesn’t know they're supposed to stop and I’m trying to turn into my parking lot and they keep going then it’s an issue,” Rachel Doan, a dentist at Premier Dental in the center said. 

Doctors and dentist offices in the center are worried about their elderly patients navigating the light for the first time and have even started warning people about the confusion before their appointments.

The owner of the plaza has been working with the county to come up with a solution. 

“The existing stop bar that's out there right now, when they do the final striping, will be moved back three to four feet more,” Darren Crivelli, the Austintown Zoning Inspector said. 

That line painting is dependent on weather and there is no timeline on when crews could start working on it.

Drivers are also encouraged to pay attention when in the intersection and try to find another route that allows you to turn right into the parking lot instead of left. 

Several businesses that spoke to 21 News are also worried once the Meijer gas station and store open up the traffic will get worse. Crivelli said there will be a meeting between the township and the Meijer opening team to create a safety plan that includes how to organize traffic.

Crivelli also suggests customers of the business in the center do not plan appointments on the opening day if they can.