Number
160367
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. BOHL
Title
Resolution directing the Department of Public Works to develop a plan for the installation of physical traffic-calming measures along West Burleigh Street between North 68th Street and North 92nd Street.
Analysis
This resolution directs the Department of Public Works to develop a plan for installing speed cushions, bump-outs, or other speed control measures along the stretch of West Burleigh Street from North 68th Street west to North 92nd Street. The resolution directs the Department to present a report to the Common Council within 120 days of adoption of this resolution.
Body
Whereas, Speeding along West Burleigh Street between North 68th Street and North 92nd Street poses a serious hazard to the life, health, and safety of pedestrians and bicyclists; and
Whereas, The Department of City Development worked with Alderman Michael J. Murphy and Alderman James A. Bohl, Jr., to conduct a comprehensive citizen survey in November 2015 about the West Burleigh / West Lisbon commercial district, including traffic speed in the area; and
Whereas, Approximately 90% of the more than 750 survey respondents lived in one of the neighborhoods immediately surrounding the West Burleigh / West Lisbon commercial district; and
Whereas, Write-in comments in the survey included a concern for the traffic speed on West Burleigh Street being too high; and
Whereas, The Department of City Development developed a West Burleigh / West Lisbon Commercial District Strategy (the “Strategy”), issued February 2016, to address safety and security issues by implementing traffic-calming measures; and
Whereas, West Burleigh Street between North 68th Street and North 92nd Street is an arterial street with a posted speed of 35 miles per hour, which the Strategy identified as being a relatively high speed, and which, along with the street’s heavy traffic volume, is not conducive to pedestrian-oriented neighborhood shopping; and
Whereas, The Strategy identified several characteristics that define the district as an auto-oriented, auto-dominated corridor not conducive to a customer-friendly streetscape, including the fact that the speed limit on West Burleigh Street is 35 mph, and that traffic is reported to generally travel at faster speeds; and
Whereas, A U.S. Federal Highway Administration study indicated that the ideal traffic-calmed speed for a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood shopping district is 18 to 21 mph, and that target speeds for a commercial main street should be 20 to 25 miles per hour; and
Whereas, The Strategy stated that the pedestrian experience on West Burleigh Street is average to poor, that the noise level for pedestrians is similar to that of walking along a divided highway, that the noise level is due to close proximity to traffic moving at a relatively high speed, and that West Burleigh Street is not pleasant to walk along; and
Whereas, The Strategy stated that there is growing evidence that traffic calmed streets are good for business, noting the improvement in the North Avenue shopping district in Wauwatosa since the implementation of roadway improvements and streetscaping; and
Whereas, The Strategy stated that unless there is a conscious effort to slow traffic and redesign the right-of-way to favor pedestrians and bicycles, the Burleigh / Lisbon commercial district may not be able to create the desirable, welcoming pedestrian-oriented character that it needs to realize its market potential; and
Whereas, The Strategy identified traffic-calming measures that involve a variety of design options for making West Burleigh Street less auto-dominated and more pedestrian-friendly, including curb extensions or bump-outs, which produce “side friction” or an inducement to slow down to avoid passing cars and people on the sidewalk at too high a rate of speed; and
Whereas, The 2009 West Side Area Plan (the “Plan”), which is part of the Citywide Comprehensive Plan, recommended implementing traffic calming where feasible and as needed, including creating safe pedestrian and bicycle access points to adjacent neighborhoods; and
Whereas, The Plan recommended promoting traffic-calming devices appropriate for arterial streets, including corner curb extensions to shorten crossing distances and enhance pedestrian visibility, in the Burleigh corridor, particularly in areas that have transit stops; and
Whereas, Speed cushions, which are a type of segmented speed hump, allow emergency response vehicles, which have wider axles, to straddle them and continue their speed unabated, while cars with narrower axles are forced to decelerate; and
Whereas, A study of the effectiveness of speed cushions has shown a decrease in traffic speeds in areas where they are installed; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Department of Public Works is directed to develop a plan for the installation of speed cushions, bump-outs, or other speed control measures along West Burleigh Street between North 68th Street and North 92nd Street; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Department of Public Works shall present its plan and recommendations to the Common Council within 120 days of adoption of this resolution.
Requestor
Drafter
LRB165136-1
Tea Norfolk
06/23/2016