BY PAUL MITCHELLNorth Country This Week

CANTON - The Town of Canton will be submitting yet another speed reduction request, this time directly to the New York State Department of Transportation to slow down traffic on a stretch of road on Rt. 11 east.

At the town board’s Aug. 14 meeting, officials agreed to draft a resolution to request lowering the 55-miles-per-hour speed limit from where the 40-miles-per-hour zone shifts to 55 mph just before the Parkway Express all the way to the town line near Johnson’s Towing and Auto Repair.

The speed concern was introduced to the town board by town resident Thomas Archetko, noted Town Supervisor Mary Ann Ashley during the correspondence segment of the meeting.

Deputy Town Supervisor James T. Smith agreed with the request, noting there is a lot of business activity along that stretch of Rt. 11.

“There has to be 15 or so businesses in that 55 miles per hour zone,” said Smith.

Recent additions to the Rt. 11 business sector are the 11 West restaurant and the relocation of the St. Lawrence Health Regional Administrative Campus, 6196 U.S,. Highway 11, formerly Frazer Computing.

Included in the string of Rt. 11 business are Parkway Express, UHaul, Rt. 11 Truck & Equipment Sales & Service, Colton Glass, Holiday Inn Express, Bourdeau Bros. Inc., the St. Lawrence Health Medical Campus, Atlantic Testing Laboratories, Empire Tractor (New Holland), Mike’s Trophies, SummerHaven, and LeBerge & Curtis. Traffic safety concerns are also generated by a right turn onto the Cowan Road to the Woodchop Shop, and in and out of the Champion trailer park. 

The town board is expected to pass the resolution at its Sept. 11 monthly meeting.

A few months ago, the town board agreed to submit a request to lower the speed limit on a stretch of the Miner Street Road from 45 mph to 30 mph. 

Last September, the town board pitched a request to lower the speed limit from 55 mph to 30 miles on the State Street Road just past Canton Central School to the Route 310 intersection. That stretch includes the outskirts of the school, the baseball and softball fields, the entrance to the Partridge Run Golf Course and Recreation Trail, the United Helpers Maplewood facility and now a solar center.

The town has yet to hear from the state DOT on their requests.