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Oshkosh to install four rapid-flashing beacons at busy crossings under CIP funding
Summary
The council directed staff to install four rectangular rapid-flashing beacons at selected pedestrian crossings (including Murdoch/Elmwood/Vinland and two roundabout crossings on Whitsall), funded through the bike-and-pedestrian CIP and available traffic-signal CIP funds; state jurisdiction and spacing rules limit installations on interstate ramps.
The Oshkosh Common Council on Jan. 13 directed staff to move forward with installing rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RFRBs) at four high-use pedestrian crossings as recommended by the Transportation Committee and staff.
Transportation staff said the beacons (push-button flashing yellow pedestrian signals) have been installed at multiple city locations over the past decade and identified four priority locations this year: a crossing near Traeger, the Murdoch/Elmwood/Vinland crossing used by Oshkosh North students, and two crossings associated with roundabouts on Whitsall. The installations will be funded from the city's bike-and-ped CIP, with supplemental funding available from unused traffic-signal CIP allocations.
Staff noted constraints for candidate sites on state-controlled ramps (interstate on/off ramps) because the state imposes a 1,200-foot minimum spacing requirement and line-of-sight restrictions between installations. Chief of Police input about accident investigations and driver confusion at closely spaced beacons was also cited.
Council members expressed strong support for pedestrian and bicyclist safety and asked staff to proceed with the installations in city-controlled locations.
