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Hayward downtown pedestrian safety and speed concerns spur use of handheld flags, temporary squad presence and camera discussions
Summary
Committee members discussed pedestrian crossings and congestion on Main Street/Highway 63 in Hayward, use of handheld crossing flags and temporary police presence during events, traffic backups at a Kwik Trip exit, and a reduction in deployed Flock cameras from six to three as a free-trial period ended.
Committee members raised pedestrian-safety and congestion concerns for downtown Hayward around Main Street (Highway 63) during the Sawyer County Traffic Safety and Equity meeting.
A Chamber of Commerce practice of placing handheld orange crossing flags in buckets at both sides of Main Street during summer events was described; the Chamber representative said residents used the flags to increase crossing visibility. County and tribal law-enforcement participants said the flags “seem to increase visibility” and noted officers placed a squad car in the median at the 63/Main intersection during events to slow traffic.
One law-enforcement official cautioned about tradeoffs in using a visible squad car: “One of the concerns with that sometimes is people are in a hurry and then they get focused on the squad and they're not watching for pedestrians,” the official said, noting the tactic has both pros and cons. Members also described steady congestion and safety problems at the Kwik Trip entrance/exit on Highway 63 and reported several crashes there this year.
Participants discussed camera deployment and budgets. The meeting noted free-trial Flock cameras had dropped from six to three after the trial period ended; local staff said they face budget constraints ahead of the next fiscal cycle and suggested townships or partner agencies might help fund additional units. Committee members cited successful uses of the cameras for locating missing persons and a stolen vehicle, and said cameras helped identify a suspect in a shooting incident near Cozy Acres.
Other local notes included a bus-route update (one route will serve new apartments and a clinic starting Sept. 2) and a staffing update for law enforcement. The committee listed several upcoming public events that will require temporary closures or traffic control (Trout Fest, Cranberry Fest, Fat Tire), and members were reminded to coordinate permits and road-closure plans with county highway staff and law enforcement.
No formal policy change or binding funding decision was recorded; members encouraged continued coordination among the Chamber, police departments, county highway staff and tribal partners on crosswalk visibility, enforcement presence and camera placement.
