WAUPACA COUNTY TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION
OCTOBER 16, 2014
The meeting was called to order at 12:00 pm by Patrol Captain Todd Rasmussen. The meeting location was Hotel Fremont, Fremont, Wisconsin.
Members Present: Patrol Captain Todd Rasmussen, State Patrol Trooper Kendi Linjer, Highway Commissioner Dean Steingraber, Drivers Education Representative Larry Schlueter, Medical Representative Dr. Jerry Salan, Coroner Barry Tomaras, District Attorney John Snider, State DOT Representative Tony Kemnitz, Population Representative Bob Flease, County Board Chairman Dick Koeppen, Area DOT Program Manager Robert Bott, and Law Enforcement Committee Representative Bill Jonely.
Patrol Captain Rasmussen read the open meeting statement.
Motion by Dick Koeppen, seconded by Todd Rasmussen.
There was a motion to approve the minutes of the previous meeting, although there was not a previous meeting. No questions on the minutes from the meeting prior on May 1. 2014. Motion to approve those minutes was approved.
Agenda was approved without a negative vote.
Public Input- None
Patrol Captain Rasmussen- The quarterly report for 2014 for the Sheriff’s Office was passed out. See attached report. Waupaca County had 180 property damage accidents for July, August, and September, 44 accidents in the quarter with injuries, 58 total people injured. No questions on the report. Detailed the two fatality accidents that were two days apart, one on Flater Rd just south of Hwy 161 where a bicyclist was struck by a motorist. Question was asked who was at fault? The bicyclist was at fault. The second fatality accident was a vehicle versus pedestrian on Collier Rd. No further questions on the fatalities.
One other issue that was brought up, is a school bus complaint on Hwy 54 going west out of Waupaca. It is divided by Fox Fire, there are a couple houses on the north side of the road. The second house next to the city, the bus stops to pick up and let off children, but there is a median that separates the east and west bound traffic. The child does not cross the lane, just gets off the bus and goes into the driveway. The complaint to the Sheriff’s Office and to the State, is that cars coming into the city on the opposite lane are not stopping. The issue is that the median is not a curb, it is paved and can be used to turn.
Trooper Linjer advised that a school bus sign would help, and was advised that would be an option.
Sheriff Hardel decision on this issue was to educate by giving written warnings at first, then issue citations based on prior warnings.
Trooper Linjer- Rural Rd as you are coming eastbound into Rural, there’s 25 MPH signs that go through Rural on Rural Rd, but if you are coming from the east going west there’s nothing, no 25 MPH limit signs. SO you are coming from a 35 MPH zone before you are in the village and then you come into the village, it perceives that is is 35 MPH going westbound and 25 MPH going eastbound. Trooper LInjer is wondering there’s any signs that could be put up going westbound through Rural so that people slow down going west.
Robert advised that Chris Klein, town chairman, will have to be talked to, as he just issued an ordinance which was applied to change all the speed zones, and he has to get his signing correct.
Dean Steingraber- Dean is on the local deer advisory counsel for Waupaca County. He is the transportation safety person. He will be making his first preliminary decision on the deer herd in Waupaca County. As a transportation safety person he was looking for some input from the committee on what the advisory counsel can do.
Implement of husbandry was another issue being worked on with the towns, and county, recommending option F, is the route we take for implementation of the law. This law is about the agricultural community operate on town roads, county roads, state roads, and throughout the state. The law came into effect within the last few months. Looking into implementing this January 1, 2015.
Problems arise is scales, the county does not have portable scales.
Larry Schlueter- None.
Bob Flease- None.
Bill Jonely- Comments on the school bus issue.
John Snider- None.
Lee Shaw-None.
Dr. Salan- None.
Barry Tomaras- None.
Dick Koeppen- Budgeting was done very easily for the county this year. Public budget hearing is on November 11, 2014. The highway department is getting more help, along with the Sheriff’s Office is going to getting extra help with the drug enforcement. Jail will also be getting some extra help.
Also thanked Dean Steingraber and the DOT for a complaint in the Clintonville area, just north of Clintonville on Hwy 22. The complaint was that there was a tree overhanging on the highway. It was tipping as it was coming out of the ground and was hanging right over the highway. Dean spoke with DOT, and now the tree is gone and cut up.
Question regarding the stop signs that have blinking all around the stop light, wondering how much they cost, and what the policies are to get them.
Robert Bott- Handouts attached. Tape shut off, was not recording.
When the tape was flipped and continued, there was conversation about overtime hours for enforcement on distracted driving, and high school demonstrations.
Tony Kemnitz- Handouts regarding different type of crash systems, also different segments of Hwy 10 for hotspots for cross median crashes. The different barrier protections and the dollar amounts for four strand tension cables, maintenance costs $200-$1500 to restring, and $34.00/foot for the segment in Waupaca between Erickson Rd & Hwy 22-54 east bypass. The cable barrier will not work. Concrete wall was another option. The cost is about $181/ft. Double run thriving, there are no types of systems like this in Wisconsin. A rough cost for this is about $100/ft, but was told it would be less than that, so that would be about $2.5 million compared to $4.5 million for a concrete wall. Internally these options will be discussed. There will be some sort of barrier system after the study is complete.
Cable barriers are also being sent in for another segment of Hwy 10 by the Waupaca east bypass of Hwy 22-54 out past Vaughn Rd out to Reek Rd. That all qualified for cable.
Vaughn Rd safety project is proceeding, we have 60% planned design completed, we are moving up towards the 90%, so we are getting very close to having something put out. That will be under construction as of spring/summer this coming year. That system is a detector system on Vaughn Rd, it’ll activate yellow warning lights on Hwy 10 with a sign that says cross traffic enetering ahead, to let traffic on Hwy 10 know that there is traffic coming on from Vaughn Rd.
Hwy 45/Hwy 15 signal upgrades is still on the electricians upgrade list. The signalized intersection that is by protected only left hand turns for southbound traffic on Hwy 45 as they turn on Hwy 15 to go towards the valley.
Hwy 49 southbound speed zones, that was approved, 35 MPH speed zone will be extended from Meadow Rd up to the top of the hill between two cemetery driveways. As part of that effort I have worked with the school, they have agreed to have the flashing yellow beacon, which has been nonfunctioning for years, removed.
Bear Creek Corners at Hwy 45/22/76 a signal study was done, or a 4-way stop there, it doesn’t make the criteria for either. There are some changes as to where the beacon is placed to alert drivers to slow down to 50.
Hwy D southbound merging concerns still on work list.
DOT construction projects, Hwy 110 over the Little Wolf river is wrapped up.
Intersection at Hwy 54 & Cty Hwy QQ, I talked to the leader on that, the concrete islands are getting poured this week, signal poles and arms will be going up next week, still on target for completion in November.
Trooper Binder came up with a concern that at Hwy 22 & Cty Hwy Y in Embarrass, the southbound approach at the north leg of Hwy 22, semi trucks has crunched cars as they get along the side of them when they turn right. We took a look at that from a safety perspective, we did identify a number of crashes there. There was only 2 that were identified as the type that the Trooper had explained. Dean explained to put some hatching in the inside lane so that everyone used one lane to make a nice radius turn.
Todd Rasmussen- Requesting everyone to RSVP two days in advance, to let Vickie know if you can or you can’t make it. If there is not enough for a quarum we can let everyone know to save the trip. So by the Tuesday before each meeting RSVP to Vickie Thoe.
The next quarterly meeting will be held Thursday January 15, 2015 at 12 noon.
Next quarterly meetings will be April 16, 2015, July 16, 2015, and October 15, 2015.
Motion to adjourn, no one opposed.
Kim Jaeger, Secretary