Speed signs raise drivers’ awareness

Calling it a “pretty good step” to curb fast drivers, Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Lt. Wayne Lambrecht shared results of a 30-day speed study with the Belgium Public Safety Committee last week.

The Sheriff’s Office does a five-day study of traffic at a given location, Lambrecht said. In Belgium, it monitored traffic entering and exiting the village in six spots along Highway KW and Middle Road.

Entering the village from the north and south, the speed limit slows from 55 mph to 35, then to 25.

As expected, traffic exiting the village traveled faster than traffic entering Belgium.

At the northernmost point facing southbound, 6467 Hwy. KW, the study found 75% of vehicles traveled over the speed limit. The maximum speed was 78 mph.

Lambrecht said the Sheriff’s Office looks at the 85th percentile, meaning the speed at which 85% of vehicles are traveling. Traffic moved at 51 mph going north and 33 mph going south.

At the next location to the south, Middle Road and Redding Circle, traffic moved at 43 mph going north and 57 mph going south.

At 271 Middle Road, traffic slowed to 40 mph going south and was going 32 mph north.

The other two spots were south of Main Street.

At the southernmost point, 5890 Hwy. KW, traffic entered the village at 40 mph and exited at 49 mph.

A little north of that, at 5941 Hwy. KW, northbound traffic slowed to 35 mph and southbound was going 43 mph.

Committee member Don Gotcher said he worries about speeders near the Ardennes II subdivision and Heritage Park, especially trucks going to and from the industrial park.

“Some of them are speeding pretty good. The biggest concern I have there is we have a lot of kids in the area. And they play baseball; they play football; they’re riding their bicycles going to Heritage Park,” he said.

“I’m afraid that somebody’s going to get seriously hurt or killed there.”

Lambrecht said the speed signs help.

“I think in putting up the speed display board you’ve taken a pretty good step yourself,” Lambrecht said. “Traveling from Cedar Grove, it certainly makes you aware of your speed.”

Other options, he said, are to put up more signs or ask the county to lower the speed limit. Since KW is a county road, that is a county decision, he said.

“I think there are ways we can raise awareness in our local citizenry,” committee chairman Rose Sauers said.

Committee member Dan Wolff, a Port Washington police officer, said he notices sheriff’s deputies doing reports in Belgium. They’re not necessarily looking for speeders, but their visibility helps.

 He suggested putting up a sign that says speed is radar enforced ahead.

The Village Board in spring bought a speed sign for $5,000 with three brackets so it can be moved to various locations, in response to residents’ complaints about fast traffic. A second sign may be purchased next year.