Wells St. could use
more of this than new
narrower paved street

Today I received a phone call from the Mayor’s office about a letter I had sent him. It must be election time since I never sent a letter about this concern. Anyway I took my posting time tonight to write the mayor a letter back. I believe voting by word and action is more effective than voting in elections where we know most of the results.

Dear Mayor,
Today I received a call from one of your staff about the plans for reconstruction of Wells Street. She said she was responding about a letter I wrote you about the cul de sac for Wells Street between Hawley Road. I was glad to find out what the city plans for Wells street although I did not write you a letter about a cul de sac. In fact my neighbor, Mr. Penn, had gone around with a petition that I and other neighbors signed. However in talking to him after the call I found out that he did not send you a letter but had given the petitions to Alderman Murphy. Mr. Murphy told Mr. Penn as you aide told me that a cul de sac was impossible according to Department of Public Works.

However you aide told me what the plans were, something I did not receive from Department of Public Works or from Mr. Murphy. According to your office the plan is to narrow Wells Street between Hawley Rd. and 46th.

I explained to your aide that my and other neighbors concern has been for many years the speeding on Wells Street between Hawley Rd. and 46th street, a stretch of 10 blocks where there is no stop sign or method to slow down traffic. A narrower Wells Street only would make matters worse since it would offer less room to get out of the way of speeding cars and make it more difficult to back out of our driveways, especially during Brewer games where there are cars parked on both sides of Wells. Now there is one lane for cars each way and a narrower street would only increase the danger.

There are two schools on Wells in this stretch and one nearby on Bluemound. I have checked Story Hill and other Milwaukee neighborhoods near us to find that in residential neighbors there is a stop sign every other block one way or the other. At one of the many meetings Mr. Murphy had on this concern the head of DPW said Stop signs are not to slow down cars. (You could have fooled me) Yet other residential neighbors do not have a 10 blocks of residential street without a stop sign.

One of my neighbors told me that Wells Street was classified as a class B Highway. I do not know what that means but I felt I was moving into a residential block. I can understand Wisconsin and Bluemound to our south and State Street to our North being main streets but do not think Wells is similar. (State Street has two stop signs by Miller Brewery, as it should have).

In other neighborhoods wide streets have been made one lane for cars with a bike lane and a parking lane, something we could use.

Our street is busy with speeding cars because it is the main way for Wauwatosa residents to enter or exist Hwy. 41 and 94 East and West. The main DOT proposed plan for expansion of Hwy 94 corridor and Stadium exchange would eliminate exits and entrances for 94 at Hawley road and Mitchell Boulevard and thus make 44h street and 46th to Wells the main streets on and off Hwy. 94.

Also the DPW has told me that there will be no public hearing before the plans for Wells Street are finalized and that we would be paying for the reconstruction of street. Mr. Murphy has said he would call a neighborhood meeting but would support whatever DPW has approved.

Now that we know what that plan is, narrower Wells Street but no added stop signs, speed bumps or cul de sac to slow down traffic, I am asking you and Mr. Murphy to take action and order DPW to hold a public hearing where any plan to improve Wells Street addresses the safety concerns of residence.

If I seem on a crusade I am. A few years ago I saw an attentive mother stop her young child from running into the street just as a car was speeding by. Do we need to wait till a child, one of the residents of Vision Center or one of the residents is hurt before the city pays attention to our concern.

Personally I for one like to see the potholes in Wells Street continue than see a new paved narrower Wells street making it easier for cars to speed.

Like I did today, I hope to hear from your office, this time to a real concern for safety I have made. I have timed the cars going up and down Wells Street and around one in four, especially in drive time, are going 40 or more miles per hour on Wells street with no Stop signs. (Speed limit is 30 and 15 during school times).

Thank you for your concern,

Bob Graf

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