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Waukesha council rejects speed-limit reduction on Silvernail Road, approves hidden-driveway sign
Summary
After a presentation showing 85th-percentile speeds near 44 mph, the council voted 4–8 against lowering a 45 mph section of Silvernail Road to 35 mph; instead it unanimously approved placing a hidden-driveway sign as a compromise.
The Waukesha Common Council voted 4–8 on Dec. 16 to reject a motion to lower the posted speed limit on a 0.6-mile stretch of Silvernail Road from 45 miles per hour to 35 miles per hour, and later unanimously approved installing a hidden-driveway sign recommended by the Buildings & Grounds Committee.
Alderman Van Trieste moved to change the limit for the segment from roughly 100 feet west of Sussex Lane west to Meadowbrook/Meadowview, citing resident safety and the road’s narrow single-lane sections. “I’d like to make a motion to have the common council vote in favor of reducing it to 35 both directions,” Van Trieste said.
Alex, a public-works staff member who presented the speed-study data, told the council the traffic study collected 85th-percentile speeds of about 44 and 43 mph in the corridor. “The speed data that was collected showed an 80 percentile speed of 44 and 43 miles per hour,” Alex said, and staff and the police department recommended keeping the posted speed consistent with that engineering guidance.
Alderman Rick Lemke opposed the change, arguing drivers “drive what the road looks like” and that lowering the limit below the 85th-percentile can create compliance problems. “I don't ever see speeding as being a problem on this street,” Lemke said, urging the council to keep the limit where engineers and police recommended.
After more debate about signage, sight lines and the fact that some monitoring equipment had been unreliable during the study, the council rejected the motion to lower the limit, 4–8.
As a compromise, the council then considered a Buildings & Grounds resolution to install a hidden-driver sign near the curve and residential driveway identified in the study. Alderman Eric Payne moved to approve the sign placement per the resolution; council members voted to authorize the sign unanimously. Staff estimated each sign costs roughly $100–$200, with a likely total of $300–$400 for the set of signs, and said budget funds are available for the installation.
The council did not adopt any speed-limit ordinance change at the meeting; the record shows staff may revisit the study or provide additional mapping later if members request more data. The hidden-driveway sign will be installed as set out in the Buildings & Grounds resolution.
