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Cycle Brookfield presents ARP-funded bike-audit for three corridors; board hears recommendations
Summary
Cycle Brookfield presented findings from ARP-funded bike audits of Kemman, Maple and Prairie Avenues, documenting faded crossings, poor wayfinding, pavement issues and high crash concentrations; the group recommended targeted crossings, signage, parking, speed-management and corridor-specific lane treatments.
Cycle Brookfield presented the results of ARP-funded community bike audits at the Village of Brookfield board meeting Dec. 8, highlighting safety and comfort problems on Kemman, Maple and Prairie Avenues and offering a set of targeted improvements.
Joe Seymour, the volunteer grant writer who led the effort, told trustees the audits followed the League of American Bicyclists’ toolkit and involved roughly 30 volunteers spanning children to seniors. He said the three corridors accounted for 60% of bicycle crashes over a five-year period and that vehicle speeds, missing wayfinding and faded crosswalks were recurring problems.
Ken Kashak, Prairie Avenue team leader, reported faded or missing crosswalk markings, insufficient bicycle parking near businesses and visibility problems caused by on-street parking. He identified the Ogden Avenue crossing as the most unsafe spot on that route.
Joe O'Conor, who led the Maple Avenue audit, described signal malfunctioning at a pedestrian crossing that repeatedly failed to display a walk phase and sightline challenges at the Burlington Northern rail crossing. Chris Pratt, Kemman audit leader, said rough pavement, roadway debris, and slow signal timings created significant discomfort, particularly near Ogden and the Metra area.
Cycle Brookfield recommended improved wayfinding and signage showing destinations and travel times, expanded bicycle parking, repairs to key crossings (including rail crossings), targeted pavement repairs and selective speed-limit reductions paired with traffic-calming measures. For specific corridor treatments they suggested shared-lane markings on Prairie and a combination of shared lanes and bike lanes on Kemman and Deboy, where road width permitted.
Presenters said they will submit a final report to the ARP program and share the report with village staff and Hancock Engineering. Board members thanked the volunteers and noted that some infrastructure changes (repaving, signage and wayfinding) align with ongoing village priorities such as the Energize Ogden effort.
Trustee Kusnney and staff said they welcome the report and that the village will consider the audit’s recommendations as part of future street projects and grant applications.
