The Transportation Board for the City of Sturgeon Bay has proposed changes to the intersection on 5th Avenue and Jefferson Street in Sturgeon Bay following an increase of accidents and near-misses on the main corner. Their plan, which includes parking reduction, will now be brought to the Common Council for approval.
 

Within their concept, the board suggests removing one parking stall from each side of the intersection closest to the northeast and southeast corners. This concept looks to improve sight lines to reduce the number of collisions and will be paired with new crosswalk signage to improve visibility for both pedestrians and drivers. 
 

District 4 Alderperson Spencer Gustafson supports the change, calling it a measured approach that improves safety without significantly altering the traffic flow.
 

“We’ll monitor the intersection over the next few months and may revisit whether a pedestrian-activated or continuous flashing crosswalk light is needed,” Gustafson said, “If so, that would require future budget planning as it’s a significant cost.”
 

This wasn’t the only change the board initially discussed for this area; a four-way stop was proposed but was rejected.
 

“That decision was based on input from street department staff and the fire department who raised concerns about emergency vehicle turning radius and braking during winter conditions,” Gusafason added, “state and federal guidelines also recommend four-way stops only when traffic volume is similar in all directions and Jefferson carries significantly more traffic than Fifth.”
 

The Common Council is also currently reviewing areas farther east on Jefferson near Sixth and Seventh for a potential speed board like ones already installed on Michigan near the school zone, on Maple and on 18th.

Photo Credit: Jeanine Elizabeth