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Residents urge Shorewood to act on Eastwood Condominium driveway blockages during school traffic
Summary
Residents of the Eastwood Condominium told the Public Works Committee that morning school traffic regularly queues across their garage exits, creating safety and access problems; DPW said signal changes would require a systemwide study and trustees asked police and management be consulted before trying temporary signage or a limited no-right-turn pilot.
Residents of the Eastwood Condominium told the Village of Shorewood Public Works Committee that cars queuing during morning school traffic regularly block the development’s steep garage exits, at times creating safety hazards and at least one crash.
"It's just insane," a resident who lives at 3916 North Oakland Avenue said of morning congestion, describing difficulty backing out of a narrow, steep drive and noting an existing "do not block driveway" sign is small and hard for drivers to see.
Michelle Oxman, who identified herself as a 3916 North Oakland Avenue resident, said long lines form on Shorewood Boulevard during morning peak hours because drivers use that signal for a quicker route to Oakland and Capitol. "A lot of times, I turn right most of the time…so many people, for whatever reason, instead of maybe taking Capitol Drive…Shorewood Boulevard just because there's a light there," she said.
Lianne Bujlik, the committee’s presenter from Public Works, told trustees a larger sign could be installed at the West Driveway but that changing signal timing to allow more Shorewood traffic onto Oakland would not be a simple fix. "You can't change signal timings just one," she said, explaining signals are interconnected and would require a systemwide traffic-signal study.
Trustees and residents discussed several possible near-term steps: enlarging and re-siting "do not block driveway" signage, installing driver-level and higher-mounted signs so both car drivers and truck drivers can see them, exploring a rotating or garage-activation warning light in coordination with building management, and trialing a time-limited "no right turn" restriction for the morning school period (trustees discussed 07:30–08:30 as an example). Trustees said enforcement—at least initially—should involve the police department to manage confusion as drivers adjust.
The committee did not adopt a final traffic-control change at the meeting. Trustees asked staff to consult with the police chief and condominium management, to explore short-term sign placements and enforcement options, and to return the matter to a future agenda if a pilot or more substantial traffic-study recommendation is warranted.
