Committee declines immediate study of West 9th Avenue road‑diet request

A request from a resident to study a road diet on West 9th Avenue prompted conversation at the Jan. 14 Oshkosh City Transportation Committee meeting, and the committee signaled it would not pursue a study at this time.

A staff member reported that a resident had emailed seeking information on the process to have the corridor evaluated; staff noted prior safety investments in the corridor, including rectangular rapid-flashing beacons at Graceland and a permanent signal at West Haven. Committee members discussed whether a single resident’s request justified hiring a consultant and using bike-and-pedestrian funds for a formal study.

Committee member Martin said she frequently travels the corridor and had not observed a persistent safety problem: “I did witness one accident in the nine years I’ve been at the intersection of West Haven and 9th,” she said. Another committee member expressed a contrary view of road diets in general and opposed moving ahead. The chair summarized, “K. So I’m hearing no,” and the committee did not direct staff to initiate a consultant study at this time.

Staff added that the city will continue to monitor crash history and that prior improvements—rectangular rapid‑flashing beacons and the West Haven signal—were intended to improve safety. The committee asked staff to keep the item in mind if additional complaints or crash data emerge.

There was no formal roll-call vote on this item; committee direction was to decline further study at this time unless additional resident interest or crash data indicate a need for reevaluation.