Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Safety Speed Limits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trustees defer request to reduce speed limit on Camp Phillips Road to allow more data and police review
Summary
Residents asked the board to recommend lowering the speed limit on Camp Phillips Road between the Highway 29 interchange and Ross Avenue after a serious crash. Police agreed to run targeted enforcement and report back; trustees voted to defer action for 30 days to gather data.
Residents asked the board to recommend that Marathon County lower the posted speed limit on Camp Phillips Road (Camp Phillips Road corridor between the Highway 29 interchange and Ross Avenue) after a fatal crash earlier in the year.
Josh Wiedenbunt, a resident who lives on Douglas Lane adjacent to Camp Phillips, told trustees that “the majority of people are going 35, 40. Some people going over 40,” and shared screenshots of social‑media posts from neighbors calling the stretch “an accident waiting to happen.” Another resident said sidewalks are “very close to the road” and walking feels unsafe when traffic is moving quickly.
Why it matters: The road is under county jurisdiction; the village can recommend a speed change but Marathon County must approve and implement any limit changes. Residents and trustees framed the request as a public-safety measure after a serious crash in the corridor; public-safety staff cited traffic‑signal sequencing and geometry as factors that may also contribute to crash risk.
Public-safety response and next steps: The police chief said the department can run targeted overtime enforcement shifts to document speeds and stopping behavior and recommended placing officers in the area for several four‑hour stints over a two‑week period to collect empirical data. The chief also noted that the crash reconstruction is being handled by the state patrol and that the village must be cautious in drawing conclusions until reconstruction data are available.
Board decision: Trustees voted to defer action for 30 days and asked police to report back with enforcement data and observations so the board can craft a formal recommendation to Marathon County. The motion to defer passed by voice vote.
Additional items discussed included existing county plans for the corridor (a resurfacing project and a future roundabout project were mentioned) and engineering considerations — trustees noted that resurfacing and design work are tied to DOT schedules and funding.
The board will revisit the matter after police provide speed and enforcement data at the next meeting.
