“It’s just not necessary at that location at this time,” he said.
The lights on the hill on Ohio 41 have already been covered and a sign reading “signal under study for removal” hangs next to the them.
“It will probably make it more convenient for many of our citizens,” Degenhart said.
Most shoppers use the main entrance to the mall now, he said.
The departure of stores like Macy’s and JC Penney have caused declines in traffic to the mall, he said.
Most recently, the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery announced it would be leaving the mall at the end of the month because of a decrease in the number of shoppers.
Connie Edington stops at the traffic signal on Ohio 41 often, she said, and it can sometimes be a safety hazard.
“We get bad weather here,” she said, which can make stopping on a hill dangerous.
She supports the removal of the lights, she said, but maybe only temporarily.
“I used to come to the mall all the time and, hopefully, it will come back again once they get more people in here,” she said.
New Upper Valley Associates purchased the site of Upper Valley Mall for about $2.5 million in an online auction late last year. Rao Chekka, managing partner, has previously said he bought the property because he believes it can succeed with the right mix of tenants.
More shoppers travel to the area with the addition of Rural King on Upper Valley Pike, Degenhart said.
“We’re very pleased to have that in our community,” he said. “It seems to be doing extremely well.”
But that traffic doesn’t travel through the intersection on Ohio 41.
The Ohio Department of Transportation did not return calls about the study.
About the Author