Public Works members flagged problems with the Memorial Drive bridge work and moved ahead with small but concrete safety tweaks, including painting curb space near 22nd & Pierce to help stop corner parking that squeezes turning traffic.
No public comments or communications recorded for this meeting.
Staff ran through a long list of project updates, including Sandy Bay Highlands Phase 3 (contract prep for curb/gutter and first asphalt lift), Pierce Street being finished (including internal trails), and remaining Public Works shop repairs (roof contract still needed). The biggest red flag was Memorial Drive/Washington Street Bridge: staff said lane widths don’t match the plan, cracking looks worse than expected, and curb heights now make sidewalk strikes easier — issues that should be documented and pressed with the state before they become “too late to fix.”
The city’s plan for rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) hit a wall on Memorial Drive: WDOT now says RRFBs aren’t allowed on a 4-lane, 40+ mph highway and the city must use Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs) instead. Staff warned PHBs may not be solar-powered, meaning trenching or boring under Memorial Drive to get electricity — a practical and budget hurdle that could slow down a safety project residents likely assumed was straightforward.
Staff said the BIDC/CDA granted exceptions to let DPW move bulk storage piles/materials from the lakefront Public Works site to the 18th Street Cell Tower location. That move matters because it’s a real step toward shifting industrial-looking storage away from the shoreline — but it’s also being staged through exceptions and follow-up meetings, with the industrial park businesses given another chance to weigh in before major material is moved.
On the 17th Street bridge, DPW used WDOT’s snooper truck to scrape and repaint rust, but only got through an estimated 5–10% of what needs attention; WDOT staff advised contracting a bridge painting company. The 22nd Street bridge wash was skipped due to time and potential WDNR restrictions if swallows/nests are present, and the Madison Street bridge saw parapet wall repairs start Aug. 6 plus buckled pavement repairs on the south approach.
The committee teed up bicycle accommodations on/over the 22nd Street bridge and along 22nd Street, noting city rules allow bikes on bridge sidewalks and that cyclists can legally take the full outside lane on a 4-lane road. Police raised a practical conflict point: bikes on sidewalks near building entrances can create close calls with pedestrians stepping out — a reminder that “just ride on the sidewalk” isn’t a clean solution.
Staff presented multiple traffic count/speed studies (Pierce, Zlatnik, Jackson, Mishicot, 17th, Roosevelt), showing a recurring pattern: a large share of drivers exceed posted speeds even on low-speed neighborhood streets. The committee took one formal action: it voted to paint the first 15 feet of curb on the west side of Pierce Street south of the 22nd Street crosswalk to reinforce the state no-parking zone and improve sightlines/turning room; Jackson Street already had paint and will just be refreshed. Other items included a request for “no bikes on sidewalk” signs near 17th & Zlatnik (staff pointed the property owner to police for trespass/property damage enforcement), and a decision by consensus to leave the 36th & Adams 3-way stop as-is.
The city’s signal vendor (TAPCO) inspected controllers and said some are outdated and should be upgraded in the future. Staff plans to talk with TAPCO about interim repairs and longer-term replacement projects — the kind of behind-the-scenes maintenance that becomes urgent only after failures, so it’s worth tracking before it turns into an emergency spend.
DPW reported a complaint about pedestrian crossing safety at 22nd & Pierce (family crossing from Walsh Field parking lot), though police said there are no recorded pedestrian crashes there. Police placed temporary “Yield to pedestrian” signs near the armory and west of Pierce, and staff said they did preliminary review — a light-touch response that may or may not match what residents experience during busy times.