Sunday drivers fail to lower speed limit near Kohler-Andrae State Park
Efforts create more problems than solving the perception of reckless driving
TOWN OF WILSON — Sunday drivers who live in the Town of Wilson attempted for nearly a year to lower the speed limit on a stretch of road near Kohler-Andrae State Park.
Erik Thelen first proposed lowering the speed limit from 55 MPH to 45 MPH on County Road V between South 12th Street and South Business Drive, also known as County Road OK. One reason to lower the speed limit, according to Thelen, was homes with children. However, unlike many homes in the City of Sheboygan, homes along County Road V have large backyards, where children should be playing.
The Sheboygan County Highway Department conducted a speed study and the county’s Traffic Safety Committee reviewed the data and denied the request earlier this year. The study showed speeding was not an issue, 53 MPH was the average speed of vehicles. Not only did Thelen want the speed limit reduced but he opposed the construction of the Kohler Company golf course north of the state park.1
In recent years, there has been a movement by Democrats in some Wisconsin cities to lower speed limits, install speed bumps, roundabouts and reduce lanes of traffic. In Milwaukee, several major streets have been reduced to a single lane in each direction.2 In Madison, a number of roads have had their speed limits lowered.3 Both have created more problems than solving the perception of reckless driving.
Here in the Bratwurst Capital of the World, a group called Sheboygan Active Transportation has advocated for protected bike lanes along the city’s main thoroughfare which would eliminate a lane of traffic in each direction. They have also suggested narrowing roads with already high traffic volume. This group has organized bicycle rides that overtake streets, impeding the flow of motorists and creating traffic backups.
