Shorewood trustees debate traffic-calming on Burton Boulevard after speed and volume data

Deputy Chief Eric Allen and public-works staff presented four weeks of speed-trailer data on Burton Boulevard and nearby cut-throughs, showing very high vehicle volumes at the 500 block of westbound Burton and measurable instances of excessive speed. Allen told trustees that the 500 block recorded 43,374 vehicles over the study span and that “1 out of every 12 motorists are speeding between 11 and 15 miles an hour over the posted speed limit at the intersection.”

Staff proposed two study options: a lower-cost, high-level analysis with a menu of possible remedies and a more expensive, in-depth origin-destination and geometric-impact study. Trustees and staff debated immediate short-term steps — including lowering the posted speed to 20 mph in the corridor, additional signage, targeted enforcement, temporary closures, stop signs, and traffic calming devices such as speed tables — and the risk that interventions might shift traffic onto other residential streets. Several trustees expressed concern about cost and timeliness; one trustee urged quicker action to address residents’ safety fears while others favored paying for a fuller analysis to avoid unintended consequences. The board did not approve either study proposal as presented, but the trustees expressed consensus to pursue lowering the posted speed limit and to have public works prepare an ordinance and signage plan.