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Oshkosh committee reviews traffic plan for Franklin Elementary; safety controls, timing proposed
Summary
Traffic consultants told the Oshkosh Transportation Committee that Franklin Elementary’s expansion and repurposing of the nearby Perry Tippler site will shift travel patterns; the study recommends a two-way stop at Mason & West and yield control at Rykow & West, with signage staged in summer 2026 and full capacity expected in 2027.
The Oshkosh Transportation Committee on Nov. 11 heard a traffic impact analysis of planned changes at Franklin Elementary School and the nearby Perry Tippler site that recommended limited control changes and staged implementation.
Traffic consultant Neil Stika told the committee the TIA reviewed 15 intersections during morning and afternoon peak hours and found most operate acceptably now but that the intersections at Mason Street & West 9th and Rykow & West 9th currently show queues of roughly 30–65 feet and delays "around 50, 55 seconds currently." He said additional enrollment at Franklin — which the presenters said will increase the site’s capacity to about 600 students — will add trips but that converting the Tippler building to a 4K/rec center alters trip distributions between the two sites.
"Adding in the additional students, we'd be looking at about a 100 new trips in to the school site in the morning, and 85 coming out," Stika said. He added the PM peak would see about 115 total vehicles leaving Franklin. The consultants tested alternatives such as new traffic signals and lane changes and said a signal is not warranted at the problematic intersections at this time.
To improve safety with the planned parent pick-up configuration, the TIA recommends making the Mason & West approach a two-way stop (the approach currently has no stop control) and converting the Rykow & West intersection to yield control for the east–west movement to align with nearby intersections. Stika said stop-sign changes are intended to make right-of-way clearer for drivers exiting the school pickup lane and to bring continuity to the corridor.
Presenters described a phased approach: construction of a new three‑way parent drop-off lane that connects to Mason Street could be built in 2026 to support a north-side addition, while full student population changes would not occur until the 2027 school year. Committee members and staff said some signage or pavement markings could be implemented the summer before school occupancy to improve safety ahead of full enrollment.
Committee members asked about which neighborhoods new students will come from; Nate Constein told the panel the bulk of Franklin’s additional students are expected from the Roosevelt site, which affects directional traffic flows. The committee agreed it will review the recommended traffic-control changes again before making a formal recommendation to the Common Council and that staff will coordinate timing with the school district and the city attorney on ordinance implementation.
The committee did not take a final vote on the TIA recommendations at the meeting. The presenters provided the full TIA document to staff and said they remain available to answer follow-up technical questions.
