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Residents urge 4‑way stop at Arcadian and Oakland after rising crashes; committee takes no action
Summary
City staff told the Buildings & Grounds Committee that 26 crashes occurred at Arcadian and Oakland over the last 5½ years and that parked cars reduce sight lines. A resident delivered a 30‑signature petition asking for an all‑way stop; staff recommended parking restrictions instead. The committee took no formal action.
City engineering staff told the Waukesha Buildings & Grounds Committee on Oct. 6 that the intersection of Arcadian Avenue and Oakland Avenue has experienced a persistent pattern of right‑angle crashes and 26 crashes over the last five and a half years.
The recommendation from Alex, a city engineering staff member, favored restricting parking along Arcadian to improve sight lines rather than installing an all‑way stop. "The only real thing in the sight lines would be a vehicle parked along the roadway," Alex said, summarizing the engineering group's review of five years of crash reports and recent traffic counts.
Daniel Melendez, who lives on Oakland Avenue, presented a petition with 30 signatures and told the committee that the intersection meets MUTCD and local warrant criteria for consideration of an all‑way stop. "This year we have seven crashes at this intersection in 2025. We have had 26 since 2020," Melendez said, adding that five of the seven crashes this year involved injuries.
Alder Doreen Wooderson, who sponsored the referral, described an increase in traffic after nearby construction and said residents had asked repeatedly for a stop at the corner. Mike Christian, Alderman for District 1, said the shift in traffic patterns since construction started on the bypass has noticeably increased cut‑through traffic citywide.
Committee members discussed the tradeoffs between an all‑way stop and parking restrictions. Staff noted that the crash narrative commonly describes drivers stopping at the side‑street stop then pulling out and not seeing oncoming traffic on Arcadian. Engineering said that an all‑way stop could produce queuing during peak periods because Arcadian carries roughly three times the volume of Oakland, and modeling projected typical queues of seven to eight vehicles.
The committee did not adopt staff's parking restriction recommendation and did not approve an all‑way stop. Chair Greg stated that without a motion the item "dies for lack of a motion," which is the committee's practice for items where no member moves a recommendation.
The matter may be raised again in a future meeting. Staff noted it could collect additional data or pursue enforcement activity depending on committee direction.
