Waukesha Buildings & Grounds committee approves series of parking, signage and pedestrian measures and notes budget will be exhausted

The Waukesha City Buildings & Grounds Committee on July 6 approved a batch of engineering recommendations that add and adjust parking restrictions, traffic signs and pedestrian accommodations citywide, and learned the committee’s building-and-grounds budget will be fully used by the actions taken.

The committee voted unanimously to accept engineering plans to establish no-parking zones on Gascoyne Drive off Pewaukee Road, install additional signage and pavement markings at the Rivers Crossing Drive/Tanglewood Drive intersection near a park, place a midblock crossing recommendation for Michigan Avenue adjacent to Waukesha North High School into the capital-improvement-program (CIP) evaluation process, and install a series of targeted signs (including 'Cross traffic does not stop' plaques, a 'no trucks over 3 tons' advance warning, an engine-brake/muffler-required sign at the Waukesha Bypass subject to WisDOT permit rules, 'Caution — Children with Disabilities' signs on Meadow Lane, and a stop sign at Winterberry Drive and Tallgrass Circle).

A city engineering staff member who presented several items said traffic counts for the Rivers Crossing/Tanglewood location showed relatively low 24-hour volumes (about 650 southbound and 625 northbound) but noted higher northbound speeds (average ~34.6 mph; 85th percentile ~35 mph). For Michigan Avenue near Waukesha North High School, staff reported roughly 1,000 vehicles in each direction in a 24-hour period and 85th-percentile speeds that rose westbound near the school (up to about 31 mph). Staff recommended pavement markings, a midblock crossing aligned with the school's main entrance, and coordination with school officials on bus staging to improve sight lines.

Resident Emily Schultz of Gascoyne Drive spoke during public comment about safety concerns in front of her home and urged extending no-parking restrictions beyond the plan’s shown limits so parking would not be displaced directly in front of her house. The committee moved to adopt the engineering diagram for Gascoyne Drive after discussion about enforcement and neighbor outreach.

On the budget, staff reported the committee had a beginning balance of $17,126.78 with $14,517.48 already spent (including a recently installed guardrail on Madison Street), leaving about $2,609.30 before the meeting. With the day's approvals, the building-and-grounds budget would be fully spent; members asked that future referrals requiring city funding be limited or routed through CIP evaluation where appropriate.

The committee tabled one item — a proposed 100-foot no-parking zone on the north side of Dopp/Dodge Street — because the sponsoring alderman was not present to explain the referral. The meeting adjourned after the committee completed its agenda.