Bump outs coming to Franklin Street in Port

A plan by the Department of Transportation to replace the handicapped ramps on sidewalks on portions of Highways 33 and 32 in Port Washington will result in one big change to downtown — bump outs at the corners of Franklin Street.

The work isn’t scheduled to be done until 2029, but the Board of Public Works heard about the plans on Tuesday as it reviewed the project.

“I want to prepare this board and the community for some of these significant changes,” Public Works Director Rob Vanden Noven said.

The $3 million project, which will be paid for by the DOT, is intended to upgrade the sidewalk ramps to current Americans with Disabilities Act requirement.

The work will replace the ramps along South Spring Street from Sunset Road north to Grand Avenue, and along Franklin and Wisconsin Streets from Grand Avenue north to Thomas Drive.

The work will require adding bump outs primarily on the downtown crossings from Grand Avenue to Jackson Street, Vanden Noven said.

One benefit, he told the board, is the work will increase pedestrian safety in downtown by shortening the distance people need to walk to cross the street, he said.

This, Vanden Noven said, is something included in the city’s downtown master plan.

“I’m pleased one of the recommendations in the downtown plan is being fulfilled by the DOT at no cost to the city,” he said. “The downtown plan recommends shortening the crosswalks, and that’s how you do that.”

The DOT, which began redesigning the curb ramps in 2023, is about 60% of the way done with the plan, Vanden Noven said.

He said the DOT has studied the impact of the changes on boats being taken to and from the marina and truck traffic to ensure there won’t be any detrimental impacts.

“The bump outs shouldn’t make it any more difficult for drivers,” Vanden Noven said.

The streets downtown are 42 feet wide, which he said is adequate to handle bump outs.

Vanden Noven noted that the project was initially expected to include other portions of the state highways in the city, but because there are other highway improvements planned for portions of Grand Avenue in 2034, those areas were removed from the project.

Vanden Noven also asked committee members to consider whether to have standard crosswalks painted when the project is done or whether to have so-called ladder crosswalks on select intersections.

Those crosswalks, such as the one at Walters and Wisconsin streets, use a combination of two parallel white lines and thicker stripes to draw attention to them

The DOT won’t pay for the ladder crosswalks, Vanden Noven said, adding the potential cost could reach $10,000.

Board member Nick Suddendorf asked if the ladder crosswalks actually improve safety.

“I’m a big believer in them” Vanden Noven said, noting they are more visible.

Board member Cam Pauli said the Federal Highway Administration reports that ladder crosswalks reduce pedestrian crashes by 40% to 48%.

“It is statistically significant,” he said.

The board informally agreed to look at the ladder crosswalks and see if it would be more cost effective to have the DOT do the work, do it in-house or hire a contractor to do it.