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Village committee recommends 4-way stop at Larkin and Olive after resident safety complaints
Summary
Following resident requests and traffic counts, Shorewood trustees voted to recommend a 4-way stop at the Larkin Street and Olive Street intersection and will bring an ordinance to the full board.
Shorewood trustees on the Public Works Committee voted to recommend a 4-way stop be adopted at the intersection of North Larkin Street and East Olive Street, after months of resident complaints about speeding and two reported accidents in under a year.
Joseph Santler, a resident who lives north of Olive, told the committee that daily speeding and inattentive driving had put people at risk and that the village’s traffic-request process felt opaque. "We've had two serious accidents in under a year," Santler said, urging trustees to take action.
Public Works Director Leanne Butchlick told trustees that staff evaluated the intersection under the village's traffic request policy and recommended replacing yield signs on Larkin with stop signs, not installing stop signs on Olive, because Olive carries substantially more traffic and is a minor arterial. But trustees said the intersection felt wide and encouraged higher speeds; Trustee McGovern argued a 4-way stop would address the perception and behavior that encourage speeding.
After discussion about long-term traffic-calming options — including neighborhood-funded improvements modeled on Milwaukee's program — the committee voted to recommend a 4-way stop. Trustee McGovern moved to forward the 4-way stop recommendation to the Village Board; another trustee seconded, and the motion passed. The ordinance will be drafted and brought to the full board for adoption.
Why it matters: Residents reported crashes and daily speeding at a neighborhood intersection; the committee's recommendation initiates a change in official traffic control that will alter right-of-way assignment and enforcement priorities.
Context and next steps: Staff recommended replacing yield signs on Larkin with stop signs based on traffic-engineering criteria (traffic volumes and right-of-way assignment), but trustees chose to recommend a 4-way stop, signaling board-level preference for an immediate, visible change. The committee also discussed longer-term neighborhood traffic-calming programs and funding options.
