April, 4, 2024
Improvements that We Would Like to See Made in the Next Ten Years
As
the Village goes through the process of reviewing and updating its 2015
Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan, it is seeking suggestions from the public.
Any changes that citizens would like to see made to our streets any time in the
next ten years—so as to make them better and safer for all users—should
be suggested now. Everyone wants
better and safer streets, but to get to that goal, specific changes have to be
suggested, and later funded and made. With this in mind, here is a preliminary
list of specific suggestions that users may want to make (and fight for)
as part of the process the Village will be following over the next few months
as it updates the 2015 Plan. This approximately thirty-item list will strike
some (or maybe most) as too long, or too detailed, but if we want things to
change, we have to make specific suggestions, and advocate for their inclusion
in the updated Master Plan.
Here is GSB’s current list:
- CSP: The Village
should adopt a Complete Streets Policy in 2024. [1][1] A “complete streets policy” (“CSP”) is a transportation policy that is adopted by a political jurisdiction (city, town, village, county or state), that seeks to make streets better and safer for all users. It is a design approach that requires streets to be planned, designed, operated and maintained to enable safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation. A CSP seeks to enable safe and efficient travel by those walking, cycling, driving automobiles, riding public transportation, moving goods, or delivering goods.
- Twenty is Plenty: The Village should become a “20 is Plenty” Community, whereby the default speed limit on residential streets is 20 mph (arterial or collector streets would or could still have a higher “as posted” designated speed limit). This would involve Shorewood joining the many communities in the U.S. and around the world that have implemented a “20 is Plenty” program (including Minneapolis, St. Paul, and several areas in Madison).
- A Connected Network of “Bike Routes”: Too many Shorewood
residents are scared to allow their kids to bike on Shorewood streets, or
themselves to bike on many of those streets. To help address this problem, the
Village should plan now a connected network of high-quality “bike routes.” That
term here means streets configured to be safe and less stressful for bike
riders, no matter what their ages. The Village should develop now a “bike
routes map” for Shorewood, designating which streets in Shorewood are going to
be developed over time to be part of the connected network. As streets in that
network are re-designed over time, they should be designed to have high-quality
spaces for bikes, and world-class design. Then, as streets on the new map are
re-constructed over time in Shorewood, those streets should be upgraded, and
the network built out and completed. Not all streets in the network will
ultimately have buffered or protected bike lanes, (the “world-class” standard for safe,
comfortable, efficient and pleasant bike riding), but those should be the first
choice as new street designs are prepared.[2]
[2] Milwaukee has built miles of protected bikes lanes, while Shorewood--which promotes itself as “bike friendly”--has no protected bike lanes.
- Neighborhood Greenways: The Village should designate, redesign and eventually reconstruct Murray, Kensington and Edgewood as “neighborhood greenways” (i.e., making improvements to the intersection and street designs, to encourage traffic calming, to add more/better pedestrian curb extensions and crosswalks, to add more green landscaping at intersections, and to make those streets more bike friendly). Note, if the Village designates and re-designs Murray as a neighborhood greenway, the Village should not use that as an excuse to fail to create high-quality bike lanes on Oakland, or otherwise forgo pedestrian-and-bike friendly improvements on Oakland. As to Edgewood, average vehicles speeds on Edgewood would be reduced by the placement of mini-traffic circles where Edgewood intersects with Summit, Prospect and Murray; adding such would help to break up the “long, clear straightaway” street view that drivers currently perceive when driving on Edgewood. The Village, the City and UWM should work together, so as to create an “Edgewood Avenue Corridor,” along which bike riders can safely travel from Lake Drive to the Oak Leaf Trail (the “OLT”). Almost all on-street parking on the Shorewood side of Edgewood, consists of UWM students parking for free on Shorewood streets. When Edgewood is ultimately redesigned and reconstructed, the Village of Shorewood should work with UWM and the City to eliminate on-street parking on one or both sides of Edgewood, so that protected bike lanes can be built on one or both sides all along the “Edgewood Avenue” Corridor (from Lake Drive, to the OLT).
- Capitol Drive: The western half of Capitol Drive has been
allowed to become a “stroad.” When that
stretch of street is redesigned and reconstructed, the Village (working with
the State) should adopt a street design that makes Capitol drive less of a
“stroad,” and more of a street.[3]
[3] A stroad is a type of thoroughfare that is a mix between a street and a road, which often or usually works poorly as either. If you are unfamiliar with the term “stroad,” see the article regarding stroads on Wikipedia or at the Strong Towns’ website, or search for stroad videos on YouTube (such as the one in the “Not Just Bikes” YouTube series). Note that because Capitol Drive is part of the State Highway System, almost any proposed modification to Capitol Drive mentioned in this document would need State approval.
As part of redsigning and reconstructing Capitol, the following should be done: (a) Eliminate the dedicated right turn lane at the southwest corner of Capitol and Oakland (as such “slip lanes” prioritize fast vehicle movement, over pedestrian safety); (b) Implement a “road diet” program on the western half of Capitol Drive, so as to generally reduce the vehicle travel lanes from two lanes to one lane each direction; (c) Add pedestrian bump outs at the intersection of Capitol and Morris, especially at the southwest. corner of that intersection (to further deter illegal right turns on red at that intersection, and to reduce the volume of “cut thru” vehicle traffic on Morris and Menlo); (d) Add bike lanes on or next to Capitol Drive (as part of such, consider adding a bi-directional, protected bike lane on the south side of the street; or consider redesigning the “sidewalk area” on the south side of Capitol so there would be a sidewalk, and a separate multiuse path); (e) Work to “activate-and-humanize the streetscape” on Capitol, so as to promote traffic calming, more pedestrian use, and more pedestrian-focused businesses. Consider adding on-street parklets along Capitol, and on-sidewalk and on-street dining, to facilitate the above; and (f) In conjunction with Culver’s, develop a plan to slow-down vehicles seeking to exit Culver’s driveway, and to otherwise make it more likely that drivers will watch for, see, and yield to pedestrians on the sidewalk, and bike riders on the street.[4]
[4] Note that because Capitol Drive is part of the State Highway System, almost any proposed modification to Capitol Drive mentioned in this document would need State approval.
- Oakland Avenue: When the southern half of Oakland Avenue is redesigned and reconstructed, the Village should adopt a street design that makes Oakland Avenue less of a stroad, and more of a street. Many other communities have done wonderfulthings for their communities, by redesigning stroads to streets. (Unlike Capitol Drive, which is part of the State Highway system, Oakland Avenue is not, so the Village would not need State approval to make improvements to Oakland, except at the intersection of Capitol & Oakland.)
- Reduce the Number of Stop Signs: The Village should eliminate one or more four-way stop sign intersections in Shorewood, by redesigning and reconstructing those intersections with attractive, landscaped mini-roundabouts in the center of those intersections instead.
- Greater Parking Setbacks: At intersections where such is a problem (e.g., at the intersection of Menlo & Frederick), the Village should increase parking setbacks from the intersection, so as to enable all street users to better see approaching vehicles or crossing pedestrians, thus enhancing driver, pedestrian and rider safety at such intersections. Alternatively, at Menlo & Frederick, at the southwest and southeast corners, curb extensions should be constructed, so as to enhance driver, rider and pedestrian safety (so that all users can see each other better, so that pedestrians are in the path of vehicles for a shorter distance, and so that traffic turning onto Frederick Avenue is slightly slowed).
- Prohibit New Drive-Thrus: The Village should continue its ban on permitting new drive-thru businesses in Shorewood (as such are not conducive to the ped/bike culture the Village has, and seeks to enhance). (This proposal would not eliminate any existing drive-through windows/lanes, such as currently exist at Culver’s, the Corner Bakery, or Walgreens.)
- Roundabouts: The Village should consider replacing one or
more of the signalized intersections on Oakland or Capitol with a well-designed (ped/bike friendly) lower-speed roundabout (with the goal at those
intersections of reducing the number and severity of vehicle crashes, improving
ped and bike-rider safety, bringing down average vehicle speeds on Capitol and
Oakland, improving the steadiness of traffic flow, bringing down vehicle
corridor travel times, decreasing engine idling, increasing driver alertness,
and decreasing green-house-gas emissions).[5]
[5] While there would be initial costs to replacing signalized intersections in Shorewood, the 2015 Master Plan indicated that each signal costs between $35,000 and $150,000, and annual maintenance costs are approximately $2000 to $4000 each signal. Those prices have only gone up since 2015.
- Re-Imagine Shorewood’s Main Intersection: Redesign and
redevelop the intersection of Capitol and Oakland, so that intersection and
area becomes less car-centric in its design, and becomes much more the “heart”
of Shorewood, or a “gate-way” attribute of Shorewood (i.e., Shorewood’s
Columbus Circle or Champs-Élysées). Work with the Shorewood Public Art
Committee and potential local donors to create a beautiful green space within
the roundabout that would help to calm traffic, brand Shorewood, and beautify
it.[6]
[6] Obviously, making such a roundabout at that intersection would be a significant project, with significant costs. Other small communities that have significantly redesigned their “main” intersections, have seen spectacular results. As for one example, see the short video at this link, regarding such a project in Poynton, England.
- Protected Intersections: Where it is decided not to replace
signalized intersections with roundabouts, the Village should create “protected intersections” (sometimes called “Dutch-style” intersections).[7]
[7] See this short video to understand how such intersections are much better for all street users, compared to traditionally-configured signalized intersections.
- Re-Imagine the River Park Area: The Village should work to
redesign and reconstruct the streets, intersections, and paths in and adjacent
to River Park, and the commercial district around the intersection of Edgewood
& Oakland. As part of that: (a) The street and walkway design there should be re-designed,
so that it is much less car-centric than it currently is; specifically, the
safety and desires of non-vehicle traffic should be prioritized. Vehicle
traffic (on the one hand) and pedestrians and non-car traffic (bike, scooter
and skateboard riders) should be better separated (in the park itself, in the
parking lots, and in the approaches to the park); (b) Ensure that bike riders (and
other-human-powered-wheeled-modes of transportation) have a safe and direct way
to get from the intersection of Oakland and Edgewood, to and through the Park,
and the OLT (as part of that, consider creating a protected multiuse trail from
the Oakland & Edgewood intersection, to the OLT, one which would run mostly
along the southern edge of the park (c) Consider reducing the currently “overbuilt and often-unused”
surface parking lots in River Park, so that there is more green space in the
park, or so that pickleball courts could be added at the northwest corner of
the intersection; (d) Add a playground structure in the park, so families with
younger kids have a destination to go to in the park (other than the baseball
and soccer fields); locate that playground area either in the southwest corner
of the park, or in a “new green space” to be created southeast of Spector Field
(that is, replace some of the “excess” surface parking lot located southeast of
Spector Field, with a younger-child-play-and-playground space, with an
innovative playground structure); (e) Encourage and incentivize neighborhood businesses in the
River Park commercial area to create more on-sidewalk dining, and on-street
dining areas, so as to activate and humanize the streetscape; (f) Long term, re-develop the commercial space located at 3510
N. Oakland (currently occupied by a Sherwin Williams Paint store), to become a
bar, restaurant or coffee shop, with (in warmer months) outdoor on-street or
on-sidewalk dining or tables, and/or some outdoor seating (as leased to the new
business by the Village) in Humble Park (the very small, and currently
rather-underutilized public park, which is located just to the south of the
above address). [8]
[8] There is high demand for and a shortage of pickle ball courts in the Village. The southeast corner of the intersection of Oakland & Edgewood might be an ideal location for such courts, because: (1) given the mostly-commercial nature of the street there, and the high volume of traffic noise at that intersection, the sounds or noise levels associated with a pickleball court might be less objectionable there, than at other quieter places in the Village; (2) locating pickleball courts there would help to “humanize” that streetscape at that intersection, and thereby contribute to traffic calming.
- Brand-Enhancing Bike Racks: The Village should allow and install “artistic” bike racks in Shorewood, so that riding is encouraged, and the message is better conveyed that Shorewood is cool, fun, stylish, and bike-friendly.
- A “Gold” Bicycle Friendly Community: The Village should formally adopt a goal that it will take those steps necessary so that the Village moves from being designated as a “Silver Level” Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists (“LAB”), to a “Gold Level” BFC. Related to that, the Village should encourage one or more Shorewood businesses to apply to become designated as a LAB Bicycle Friendly Business.
- More Students Walking and Biking to School: The Village should promote more active transportation by students and their families; as part of that: (a) Create a real-and-robust campaign to encourage more families to walk or bike to school, so as to actively work to create a new generation of families and citizens who naturally want to and choose to use active means of transportation in their daily lives, throughout their lives; (b) Make biking a part of the Shorewood Middle School and High School physical education curriculum; and (c) The Village should work to create a practice facility for the Shorewood Mountain Bike Team, either in Shorewood, or nearby.
- Use NACTO Guidelines: The Village should use the NACTO Urban Street Design Guide as a template for redeveloping Shorewood streets over time, as they are redesigned and reconstructed.
- Residential Shared Streets: As to “Residential Shared Streets” (a/k/a “Yield Streets” or “Yard Streets”), the Village should: (a) Choose one of Shorewood’s “stub” streets (i.e., a quiet residential street that is a dead-end street, or which is only one block in length) and do a shared street demonstration project on that street in the summer of 2025, or 2026; and (b) After the demonstration project is completed, develop a Village-wide policy, which would enable the residents on other stub streets to petition the Village to have their street designated by the Village, and configured, as a shared street (on a temporary, seasonal or longer-term basis).
- More Pedestrian Street Life: To enhance traffic calming and to activate-and-humanize our streets, the Village should create on-street parklets, and permit/encourage seasonal outdoor dining (i.e., more on-sidewalk and on-street dining areas).
- LPIs: The Village should ensure that our signalized
intersections we have appropriate "leading pedestrian intervals” (“LPIs”), so as to enhance safety for
students, the elderly and other pedestrians.[9]
[9] An LPI gives pedestrians the opportunity to enter the crosswalk at an intersection 3-7 seconds before vehicles are given a green indication. This allows pedestrians to better establish their presence in the crosswalk before vehicles have priority to turn right or left.
- Bike Boxes and Bike Signals: At intersections that have a
high volume of bike riders (Oakland & Menlo, Capitol & Oakland, Oakland
& Shorewood, Oakland & Edgewood, and Lake & Capitol), the Village
should: (a) Create “Bike Boxes,”
so as to increase rider safety and visibility;[10]
[10] A “bike box” is a designated area (usually painted green) at the head of a traffic lane at a signalized intersection that provides bicyclists with a safe and visible way to get ahead of queuing traffic during the red signal phase, and then wait in that box for the light to change. Such boxes help to prevent “right-hook” collisions, i.e., collision that occur when drivers fail to see a rider in the area to the right of the driver’s vehicle, and turns in front of (“cuts off”) and collides with the rider.
and (b) Install “bike signals” (that would indicate that bikes may proceed to cross an intersection at the same time as pedestrians can), or support the State of Wisconsin amending the Wisconsin Traffic Code, so that Wisconsin allows signs at intersections indicating “Bikes Use Pedestrian Signals”.[11][11] This is what is referred to by NACTO in its Urban Streets Design Guide as a “leading bike interval & lagging left turn” approach.
- Re-Vitalize Village “Dead Zones”: There are several stretches of streetscape along Oakland and Capitol that have been allowed to become “pedestrian dead zones.” A few examples of such areas would be the vacant lot at the northeast corner of the intersection of Oakland & Marion, the “public market stall” space located between the Metro Market parking lot and Oakland Avenue, the northwest corner of the intersection of Oakland & Kenmore, and the northwest corner of the intersection of Oakland & Edgewood (for more examples, see the complete list that the Village’s Other Public Spaces Sub-Committee has developed). The Village should develop a plan to re-vitalize those areas, so there is a reason for pedestrians to use those spaces, and those spaces become an asset to the Village.
- Greener Deliveries: Encourage or incentivize delivery services (e.g., UPS, FedEx, Prime, etc.) to use greener vehicles (either electric vehicles, or e-cargo-delivery bikes).
- Metro Market 2.0: Encourage or incentivize Metro Market to activate-and-humanize the streetscape better around the store, including by re-opening the “mid-block” entrance/exit (which has been closed since the pandemic started), and creating an entrance/exit at the intersection of Oakland & Kenmore, and as part of that, create an “outdoor café area” or “outdoor beer garden” at that corner during summer months.
- Menlo & Morris: Although the Village has made significant progress as to calming traffic on Menlo and Morris, and discouraging “cut-through traffic” between Capitol and Oakland, more could be done. The Village should consider the installation in that area of such “horizontal” traffic-calming measures as chicanes, and center islands (as opposed to installing “vertical” traffic-calming measures, a/k/a speed bumps, speed humps, speed tables, and/or speed pillows).
- DPW Yard Easement: When the Village retires the DPW yard, it should retain an “alley” or “breezeway” easement through that property, so as to better enable students, pedestrians, families and bike riders to safely and comfortably travel between Morris Boulevard and the OLT.
- “Gateway” Art on the OLT: The Village (in conjunction with Milwaukee County, the City of Milwaukee, the Shorewood Public Arts Committee, Whitefish Bay, and private donors), should create “gateway” art structures or new landscaping installations alongside or over the OLT, at the Shorewood/Milwaukee border and the Shorewood/WFB border.
- e-Scooters: Although controversial, the Village should study, and then consider allowing, businesses offering seasonal short-term app-enabled e-scooters to operate in Shorewood, (e.g., the same businesses that are allowed to operate in Milwaukee, such as Lime, Veo and Spin). Those should be allowed generally the same terms as they are permitted in Milwaukee, provided those services (like they do in Milwaukee) generate revenue for Village coffers. Such would provide Shorewood residents, UWM students and others a low-cost, green, non-car way of getting around in Shorewood, and to and from Shorewood bars, restaurants and shops. Although e-scooters are not without their risks and dangers, neither is the use of other, more familiar ways of getting around in Shorewood. As part of that project, update Chapter 207 of the Village Code, to fix some of the outdated provisions therein relating to micromobility transport methods.
- Detering & Punishing Reckless Driving: As reckless driving poses a threat to all street users, develop a concrete plan to deter and punish reckless driving in Shorewood (for specific suggestions as to what can be done, see this GSB blog article: Discouraging Reckless Driving in Shorewood).
- Enhance Ped/Bike Safety and Comfort on Estabrook Parkway in the Summer Months: The Village (in conjunction with the County), during summer months should designate the Parkway as a “non-thru traffic street” (similar to what the University of Wisconsin did many years ago with the street that goes through the UW Arboretum). This could be done at a very low cost each summer, by just posting at the park entrances temporary “no thru traffic” signs, and closing one of the already existing gates/barriers (most likely the one near the beer garden). This would still enable folks who want to take a “sightseeing drive” in the park to do so, but would not enable drivers (at least during summer months) to use the Parkway as a shortcut to get from Capitol to Hampton (or vice versa). Reducing the volume-of-traffic and lowering average-vehicle-speeds on the Parkway during the summer months would make the Parkway safer and more pleasant for pedestrians and bike riders of all ages during those months.
- Adopt an “All Streets Policy”: Shorewood should adopt an “All Streets Policy,” that is, one whereby: (a) There are no longer any streets in Shorewood, about which parents say “I would never allow my teenage child to bike alone on that street, it’s just too dangerous”; and (b) There are no longer any streets in Shorewood where parents feel it is just too dangerous to bike with their kids.
- Improve Traffic-Calming and Street Safety on the East Side of the High School. The Village should revisit the idea of a “vehicle-parking-lot diet” at the high school. Such a diet would enable the Village to raise some revenue by selling a small strip of land fronting on Oakland (the eastern-most portion of the high school parking lot) to a developer. The developer would then develop the land so there are a few new shops on the west side of Oakland. Such shops would help to “activate-and-humanize” the streetscape there, especially if the shops had on-sidewalk seating/dining.
