By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

AUBURN – A traffic light is not in the future for people living just east of Route 4 and Lake Auburn, according to city officials.

But there may be ways to make it easier for people living along Oak Hill Road, Fair Street and Martin Street to get downtown, according to Economic Development Director Roland Miller.

He and Don Craig, director of the Androscoggin Transportation Resource Center, are scheduled to meet with neighbors at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the East Auburn Community School to discuss options for the neighbors.

Route 4, also known as Center Street, is the easiest way for those residents to get downtown. They can exit Fair Street or Oak Hill Road, but have to contend with high-speed traffic on Route 4.

“It’s such a problem that people schedule trips around rush hour on Center Street,” Miller said. “They’ve been looking for some way to make it easier to get out of that neighborhood – a traffic light or anything.”

State officials turned down the city’s request for a light there in 2003, saying there was not enough side road traffic to make it necessary. Miller said he met with state traffic officials Tuesday and learned that nothing has changed.

There are other options, which could include giving those neighbors more room to see oncoming Route 4 traffic.

“That might make merging easier for those drivers,” Miller said.