The Waukesha City Building & Grounds Committee voted Jan. 6 to seek a uniform posted speed of 30 miles per hour on Sunset Drive from Center Road/railroad tracks to Tenney Avenue — contingent on the Village of Waukesha approving a matching 30 mph posting on the village-maintained segment.

Committee members spent more than an hour reviewing spot-speed data and roadway design before acting. City staff presented 85th-percentile and median speed measurements taken at multiple points along the corridor and recommended 30 mph as a balance between existing driver behavior and safety considerations.

Darren, a city engineering staff member, summarized the staff recommendation and technical constraints. He said the data showed 85th-percentile speeds generally above 32 mph in the eastbound direction and higher in the westbound direction, and noted design features that influenced the recommendation: "Our recommendation is 30 miles an hour from the speed data that we obtained for both directions," Darren said. He also cited WisDOT guidance affecting posted speeds where two‑way left‑turn lanes (twiddles) exist.

Committee members voiced divided views. Some members urged consistency across the corridor to reduce driver confusion; others worried that raising the posted limit could, in practice, increase travel speeds and reduce safety at driveways and mid‑block access points. Alderman Rick Lemke urged a full‑corridor approach if the village would not agree, while others said enforcement capacity and traffic signal coordination should be factored in before changing postings.

The committee’s formal motion — approved on voice vote — directs city staff to adjust the city’s Sunset Drive posting to 30 mph from Tenney Avenue to Saint Paul Avenue (the city segment discussed) contingent on the village raising its portion to 30 mph. Committee members specified the change should proceed in coordination with the village and noted the planned 2025 reconstruction of the Sunset/Prairie traffic signal as an opportune time to update signs.

Why it matters: Sunset Drive carries commercial and residential access, multiple signalized intersections and a mix of cross sections (undivided segments, medians and two‑way left‑turn lanes). The committee emphasized balancing driver expectancy, roadway design standards and safety for side‑street and driveway users.

The committee asked staff to continue coordination with the Village of Waukesha, to update signal timing models if the posted speed is changed, and to inform the police department so enforcement can target times and locations where speeding is concentrated.

The committee recorded the motion as passed; a formal ordinance or resolution to change posted limits will be prepared if the village adopts its matching change.