Oshkosh council rejects signal at Traeger School after neighbors raise safety and property concerns

The Oshkosh Common Council voted against ordinance 25-530, a proposal to designate Twentieth Avenue and the east driveway of Karl Traeger School as a signalized intersection.

Neighbors who live next to the school urged the council to reject the signal. Lisa Cobley, who said she lives at 2950 West Twentieth Avenue, told councilors, “We are the next house located next to Karl Traeger, and we do not want the light installed. We don't think that it's beneficial for the neighborhood. We simply don't want it.” She said she had consulted local real estate professionals who estimated a “2% to 5%” reduction in value for homes located very close to a traffic light and cited studies asserting increased particle concentrations and changes in crash patterns near signals.

City and consultant representatives said the signal was intended to address heavy queuing during school drop-off and pick-up. A…