Elm Grove residents call for greater safety

It may be as close as Elm Grove has come to a controversy since a proposal to run water lines through the downtown.

Feb. 2, in front of a 30-person crowd, village officials shared the results of a communitywide safety survey, a potential precursor to changes and improvements to the village's recreation access.

Elm Grove has, as resident Mary Inden pointed out at the meeting, done these types of surveys before. The goal is to determine how serious residents are about safety in the community as it relates to biking, jogging and walking around their neighborhoods.

If a survey finds people don't seem to care, presumably the board won't make an effort to change the number of walking trails, for example, in the village. However, the survey found a significant number of residents said they'd increase their activity if safety concerns were addressed, particularly on problem roads.

According to the survey about three out of every four people in Elm Grove say it's important to have trails for walkers or bikers, and 60 percent said they'd be willing to pay 50 extra dollars a year in taxes to support those trails.

Multiple solutions needed

Residents identified Juneau Boulevard and Highland Road as problem areas for trying to get around either by bike or by walking. But one of the biggest issues brought up by both the board and the community was the irresponsibility of people doing the walking and biking.

Reflective gear and lights used by active residents would increase safety without the village having to make any infrastructure changes.

"It's the kind of thing people need to fix themselves," Village President Neil Palmer said.

Palmer admitted that sight lines remain a problem in the village as drivers may fail to see pedestrians because of tree cover or bushes. On the other hand, he said, the village can't go around trimming hedges and cutting down trees in the yards of homeowners.

Part of the impetus for the survey was the suggestion that Elm Grove ought to have specific pathways for bicycles as a way to connect Elm Grove to Wauwatosa, Brookfield and other surrounding communities.

According to advocates, it would create a safer environment for bikers and motorists while increasing home values for residents.

Public Safety Committee Chairwoman Jan Schoenecker took exception to the insinuation made by an audience member that the board would create an unsafe plan.

"To say that this committee or this board would push anything unsafe is insulting," she said, adding that she spoke to a trio of civil engineers who all said they could create safe bike paths for Elm Grove.

"The big question is, do we want them?"

Village wants action

The board members said they don't plan to simply sit on this information. Younger families have come forward, urging the village to create pathways for children to move through the village. Given the steady number of families coming into Elm Grove, the board insists it will take action.

"The point of getting this good information was no to do nothing," Palmer explained.

The Committee of the Whole, the body holding the Feb. 2 meeting, suggested the Public Safety Committee bring to the Village Board a list of actionable items to improve safety in the village and potentially improve recreational access.

Next Step

WHAT: Meeting of the Elm Grove Village Board

WHEN: Feb. 28 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Village Hall, 13600 Juneau Boulevard

WHY: Potential discussion on safety improvements