Shorewood committee recommends WisDOT review of curb extension at Capitol Drive and Morris Boulevard

The Shorewood Public Works Committee voted to recommend that the village board ask the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to review a proposed curb extension at the northeast corner of East Capitol Drive and North Morris Boulevard. The committee made the recommendation by voice vote during a public works meeting; no roll-call tally was recorded.

Director Anne Butchlick told trustees the committee had previously directed staff to evaluate a possible curb extension there and that Milwaukee County Transit had no objections to the change. Butchlick said staff has a preliminary engineer estimate of about $15,000 to complete the evaluations and drawings WisDOT requires for its review and that some work from a prior speed study could be reused to reduce costs.

The staff report also identified a potential funding source: designing the bump-out as a green infrastructure (GI) feature could make it eligible for Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) green solutions funding, though Butchlick said the village needs a deeper review of storm-sewer infrastructure before any funding decision. Butchlick cautioned that WisDOT maintains a list of submittal requirements the village must meet.

Trustees expressed general support for the curb extension as a near-term step to improve pedestrian safety at a wide intersection used by students and neighborhood residents. Gary Braun, a Kenmore Street resident who said he was one of three people who filed the original TAPR request, told the committee he supports the proposed bump-out and urged the village to consider additional longer-term changes, such as narrowing lanes and adding more bump-outs and signage.

Trustee discussion also asked whether including a second nearby location (Bartlett and Capitol) in the same submittal would produce economies of scale; Butchlick said the committee’s prior direction was to focus on Morris and Capitol and that the $15,000 estimate covered only the Morris location. Trustees discussed a recent Milwaukee County plan that identified Lake Drive and Capitol Drive among 25 streets targeted for further review, but Butchlick said the county plan is an identification and evaluation step and does not automatically provide county funding to municipalities.

The committee’s formal motion, moved and seconded during the meeting, read: “I move to recommend that the village board direct the village engineer or the necessary submittal for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's consideration of a curb extension at the northeast corner of the intersection of East Capitol Drive and North Morris.” The motion was approved by voice vote; the committee will forward the recommendation to the village board for final action.

Next steps: the village engineer would prepare the formal submittal to WisDOT if the village board accepts the committee recommendation, and staff said it will pursue further review of storm-sewer constraints and potential MMSD GI funding before design work begins.