Officials say extension of Oconomowoc Parkway is a low priority
Village of Summit - The long and winding road of a local street expansion discussion has reached a stop sign after county and municipal officials have said there are no plans to extend Oconomowoc Parkway.
Village of Summit Trustee Dave Zimmermann met recently with representatives from the City of Oconomowoc and Waukesha County to discuss safety issues related to Valley Road/Highway B and the status of the extension of Oconomowoc Parkway.
Village of Summit Administrator Henry Elling said Zimmermann requested the meeting as a followup to information received in 2011.
"It's an ongoing concern that residents have expressed over time," Zimmermann explained.
Also at the meeting with Elling and Zimmermann were county highway engineering manager Gary Evans, county Supervisors Cathleen Slattery and David Falstad and Oconomowoc city engineer Stan Sugden.
City of Oconomowoc Administrator Diane Gard said the city does not have a timeline for construction of the parkway and added that it ranks last among three connections the city has under consideration.
"As far as road extensions, Thackeray Trail was identified as the first priority, the extension of Lake Bluff Drive second and the Oconomowoc Parkway third," she said.
The standings were based on benefits to the city. The parkway status is low because Valley Road is in place to serve as an east/west connection.
In a previous meeting, Zimmermann voiced safety concerns over the absence of pedestrian sidewalks and shoulders along Highway B, and concerns about residents crossing to access their lake frontage and users of the boat launch.
The county had a senior civil engineer assess signs in the area and felt they were "adequate and properly placed," Frye said in a memo about the meeting.
Those safety concerns by the boat launch were evaluated using the county's three-year crash history for the section of road between Highways Z and 67.
According to the findings, in 2009-11 there were 11 reported incidents, equating to 104 crashes per 1 million vehicle miles. The statewide average for this type of road is 160 per 1 million vehicle miles.
A 2010 traffic study reported the average daily traffic count at 6,400 vehicles per day, which is considered moderate traffic volume.
Based on that information, no federal or safety grant dollars would be available to assist with the extension.
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2 Comments
pholmes237 - Feb 05, 2013 7:57 AM
The problem is the "county" wants to increase the speed limit from 25mph to 45mph ! For goodness sake.....there is a middle school on the parkway ! This parkway goes directly through the MIDDLE of our subdivision. I have dealt directly with the county officials on this subject so I know what I am talking about and what I've been told. The county wants fast moving traffic in projects they design and fund. They are not in the business of redoing streets for 25mph driving.
I will continue to monitor this unnessary expansion simply to apease the "lake owners" along Valley Road. Remember, the road was put there so you could get to your lake home. Not the other way around. Live with it.
Living with it - Feb 07, 2013 12:23 PM
counter-point to your position. Be very sure of the fact that Valley Road was not
built specifically to provide lake access to home owners who live there.
Historically it has been an artery for the Oconomowoc area to gain access to
downtown Oconomowoc, as well as Sullivan, I-94 and a myriad of other places.
More recent development in the immediate vicinity of Silver Lake has pushed
Valley Road to be over-utilized and dangerous for all who live on it AS WELL AS
those who drive on it. Your myopic viewpoint ignores the fact that Oconomowoc
Parkway was built in order to specifically handle the additional traffic brought
about by the construction of your development, other developments west of you,
a new school, a new church, etc. I WILL AGREE with you that a speed limit of
45mph on Oconomowoc Parkway is excessive, particularly considering the close
proximity of bordering homes, businesses and condominiums. However, it is
unavoidable to consider that the parkway exists as a 4-lane road that
demonstrates the area’s inability to finish plans and projects (refer to the 46
YEAR-long project to build the HWY 16/67 bypass). There is a reason that the
sections of the parkway both east and west of Silver Lake Street were
constructed as they were… To alleviate the additional utilization of Valley Road
brought on by continuing development of the area. I find it interesting (and
somewhat sad) that you completely miss that point and instead hoist the “NIMBY”
flag while telling the residents of Valley Road to “live with it.”