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Public works committee orders crosswalk sign at Maryland and Menlo after resident safety complaints
Summary
The Shorewood Public Works Committee directed public works staff to install a crosswalk sign at the southern Menlo–Maryland intersection after residents described confusing geometry and drivers failing to stop. The committee voted to have DPW place the sign “at its earliest convenience.”
The Shorewood Public Works Committee voted to have the Department of Public Works place a crosswalk sign at the southern Menlo Boulevard–Maryland Avenue intersection “at its earliest convenience.” The motion passed during the committee’s meeting after residents described repeated near-misses and drivers running stop signs at the location.
The request followed testimony from resident Mike Sauer, who said he walks the intersection daily and has seen frequent drivers failing to stop. “It’s a pretty busy intersection… I have in the last year, 6 months, probably seen 1 day of walking where someone has not run that stop sign,” Sauer said. He urged the committee to add crosswalk markings or a bright sign to improve visibility.
Staff and committee members described the intersection as unusually configured, with two Menlo turn lanes and only the northern crosswalk currently marked. Lianne Butchlich, Shorewood’s public works director, told the committee that earlier work had marked only the north crosswalk and installed stop signs and that the records from that earlier meeting were not available.
Committee members discussed several lower-cost and quicker measures before installing pavement markings, including trimming or removing vegetation that limits sight lines and adding temporary flags or LED-enhanced stop signs. But several members said leaving the situation unchanged was not an acceptable option.
After discussion the committee approved the following motion: “Place a crosswalk sign in the southernmost intersection of Menlo and Maryland, northbound, at its earliest convenience.” The committee recorded the motion as passed and asked staff to report back on whether the change improved safety.
The decision directs DPW to install signage rather than immediate pavement markings. Committee members encouraged residents to report whether the new sign helps or not, and to return the item to the committee if problems persist.
