Posted: June 24, 2009

Patrons of Wauwatosa's east side businesses often voice concern about crossing North Avenue, but the complaints have quieted a bit since the city installed small, yellow signs in the crosswalks to remind drivers to yield to pedestrians.

The city has fielded requests to place additional signs at more than a dozen intersections, prompting officials to set use guidelines and determine how much the city can afford to spend on the traffic-calming devices.

"I've received overwhelmingly positive comments," Alderman Jerry Stepaniak said. "It has slowed things down somewhat as far as people speeding through there."

Greg Hildebrand, who lives in the Pabst Park neighborhood, believes the signs put up last winter at 69th and 72nd streets are effective. He frequently walks with his family to Dairy Queen for ice cream, and so far this year he has noticed drivers navigating the road with more caution. Two more signs were added this spring on North Avenue at Lefeber and 61st streets.

"My only negative comment is that there aren't more," he said. "There needs to be one on every other block. It's a speedway."

Money would be needed

Public Works Director William Kappel said non-signalized crosswalks in areas with heavy vehicle and foot traffic likely would take priority if the city decides to install more signs. For instance, he suggested placing a sign near Sendik's on 86th Street.

Each sign costs about $250. Since the initial two signs were damaged this winter and had to be replaced, the four locations have already eaten up the $1,000 budgeted for the project in 2009.

Most Traffic & Safety Committee members support expanding the project, and they directed Kappel to create a budget proposal for making that happen.

"When it comes to quality-of-life issues like this, people want to see us do something," Alderman Eric Meaux said.

Signs taken down in winter

Going forward, signs - those existing and any new ones - will be placed in roadways from May through October, the months when pedestrians are more prevalent. They will be taken down in winter, when damage is most likely to occur.

Alderwoman Jacqueline Jay said she is not sold on the benefits of portable crosswalk signs. She said that the city has not had a full year to observe how the signs affect traffic flow and that the signs have not held up well. Already the signs installed in spring are showing indications of being struck by vehicles.

"We're putting it in the budget before we know if it's successful," she said.

Kappel said the budget for expanding the signs' use likely would start small, and if neighborhoods are in a hurry to get signs, they could raise the funds.

Police see benefits

The Wauwatosa Police Department is looking into potential grant dollars that could be used to purchase more signs.

Lt. Tim Sharpee said officers have seen a positive change in the areas where the signs are in use. He does not have statistics to support that belief at this point; rather, patrol officers have provided feedback to that effect.

Through a state pedestrian safety grant, the Police Department has performed sting operations at the crosswalks with signs. A plainclothes officer crosses the street and if a driver does not stop, a uniformed officer pulls the vehicle over and issues a ticket.

Initially, the plainclothes officer came pretty close to getting struck several times, Sharpee said. Those incidents are occurring less frequently.

"We're starting to see results: drivers yielding and slower speeds," he said.

Accidents could decrease

He hopes to see a reduction in the number of traffic accidents throughout the city as the program develops.

Lisa Fohey, East Town Business & Merchants Association director, said she sees the signs as an education tool that reminds people that the law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians.

"Many people don't seem to know it's the law," she said. "I've actually been beeped at by other drivers behind me when I stopped to yield for people in the crosswalk."

AT A GLANCE

The city has received recommendations to put crosswalk signs at the following intersections:

• State Street at the Harwood Avenue pedestrian bridge, 68th and 72nd streets

• North Avenue at 91st Street and every intersection from 60th Street to Wauwatosa Avenue

• Swan Boulevard at Meinecke Avenue and Clarke Street

• Just about any intersection on Wauwatosa Avenue and Blue Mound Road