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Council reviews North Green Bay speed study; engineer recommends keeping 40 mph, one alderman pushes for 35
Summary
A speed‑limit study showed 85th‑percentile speeds near 46 mph; staff and the city engineer recommended maintaining the posted 40 mph on the corridor, while Alderman Schmelzing urged the council to consider lowering the posted limit to 35 mph because of pedestrian exposure, new bus stops and visibility issues.
The Glendale Common Council reviewed a speed‑limit study for North Green Bay Avenue between West Brentwood Avenue and West Good Hope Road and heard contrasting views on whether to reduce the posted speed.
City Administrator Carl Warwick summarized consultant readings that placed 85th‑percentile speeds at about 45.8 and 46.5 mph at two cross sections and reported a median speed near 40–41 mph. "Based on the data that is there, it looks like the safest speed limit for that area would be to maintain the 40 mile an hour speed limit," Warwick said.
The city engineer (Mustafa) told the council that the statistics and the roadway context supported retaining the current limits and cautioned that merely lowering the posted number without engineering changes often does not reduce actual driving speeds. "I think that, having looked at the statistics, in my opinion, the 40 miles an hour as a speed limit on Green Bay, is appropriate," Mustafa said.
Alderman Schmelzing countered that the study's focus on free‑flow speed omits other FHWA factors such as crash history, pedestrian activity, bus stops, and roadside development. He cited a fatal bicyclist crash and pedestrian desire lines near park entrances and the synagogue, arguing the council should consider a 35 mph posting for consistency with nearby boulevards and improved safety. "A little bit of speed difference can make a big change," Schmelzing said.
No formal reduction was noticed for this meeting; the mayor said the council was meeting to review the study and invited a formal request to place a reduction on a future agenda if members wish to pursue it. Staff suggested that trimming vegetation, additional signage and a future agenda memo could be next steps.
What happens next: A council member may submit a formal request for a future agenda to debate and vote on changing the posted limit; staff offered to prepare a memo with additional crash and context data if requested.
