Removing Hwy. 33 parking lane a good deal for village, officials say

Move to improve safety, reduce maintenance costs
By 
FINN ASKIN
Ozaukee Press staff

The Village of Saukville Plan Commission unanimously voted Tuesday to remove the parking lane on Highway 33 from the railroad tracks to Mill Street — a move that will help the village avoid spending more than $200,000 in maintenance costs, Village President Andy Hebein said.

The parking lane will not be dug up, rather it will be marked as “no parking.”

The parking lane creates a myriad of issues, according to village officials.

The parking lane, Village Administrator Dawn Wagner said, is incredibly narrow and “barely allows cars to get through there.”

Hebein agreed.

“We believe (removing the lane) creates a safer environment as Highway 33 is fairly narrow and with the volume of vehicles traveling through, including the volume of large vehicles moving through, it can be a safety issue,” he said.

Trustee Trevor Seitz noted the lane also presents issues for snowplows.

“Plowing will be much easier running down that road because they won’t have to zig-zag down the highway to get everything,” he said.

Hebein said removing the lane will not just make things safer, but will also help the village avoid future costs.

“For example, if the road is ever widened or modified, the village could be responsible for costs of paving, driveway approaches and curbs. If we decide to keep the parking lane, the village will also incur a cost of $210,000 from the Department of Transportation for our responsibility of paving the parking lane,” he said.

Hebein explained that the village is not saving money by eliminating parking, but is rather avoiding future costs by not keeping the lane.

“The future of the highway and related projects is determined by the DOT. The village was given the option to keep the parking lane and if so, incur the associated cost. We felt it was not worth passing that cost on,” he said.

He added the volume of parking is low and said eliminating “parking in that section should have little impact.”

Additionally, public parking is available behind MJ’s Bar and Grill, 100 S. Main Street, and Grady Park, 110 W. Dekora Street, which are both “very close to that section of Highway 33,” Hebein noted.

Seitz also said even when the parking lane no longer exists, the village can place temporary parking signs there for specific events.

He specifically noted the signs could be used for food trucks.

While the parking lane will remain in  existence in the future, Wagner said, a resolution will be on an agenda down the line to officially eliminate it.

“This project takes effect in 2027 so for now, it is status quo,” Hebein said.

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