Panel: More study needed on Calhoun speeds before radar signs considered
Newly widened road was reopened in August
A proposal to install permanent radar speed signs on the southern section of Calhoun Road was shelved for a year after police and public works officials said they need more time to determine whether speeding is a problem there.
Alderwoman Lisa Mellone proposed the measure in August, and the Board of Public Works briefly discussed the issue last week before deciding to table it for 12 months to allow more information to be gathered.
Residents have expressed concerns about excessive speeding on the newly reopened section of Calhoun between Bluemound Road and Greenfield Avenue, Mellone said. That part of the road, which opened to traffic in August, was widened to four lanes as part of a multiple-year project that also replaced the Interstate 94 bridges over Calhoun Road.
Mellone said other communities, including Wauwatosa and Elm Grove, use the signs, which are permanently mounted to speed limit signs and display the speed of passing vehicles.
Public Works Director Tom Grisa said one sign could cost up to $6,000 installed.
The city has taken a preliminary look at speeds on the southern section of Calhoun, Grisa said. The city completed about two weeks of monitoring during the past month and found that the average speed along the stretch was about 40 mph. About 15 percent of the vehicles there were traveling at 45 mph or faster.
The posted speed limit on Calhoun Road is 35 mph.
"Those (numbers) are a little high - higher than what we like to see," Grisa said.
Police Chief Dan Tushaus said he was disappointed the numbers "were as high as they were" but added that there have been no speed-related accidents on Calhoun since it reopened.
The city should continue to monitor Calhoun to see if a traffic problem arises, he said.
"From our perspective, it's too early to tell what we've got down there," he said.
Mellone agreed that more research is needed and asked Tushaus to determine how many speeding tickets written along the stretch go to Brookfield residents vs. nonresidents passing through the city.
Alderman Scott Berg said he would be more comfortable spending money on another speed trailer, which could be used throughout the city, than on permanent radar speed signs that would cover only a small section of Calhoun Road.
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