Gays Mills
Editor-
It was to my great surprise on Tuesday that the folks at the Kickapoo Corners Restaurant had a free meal for the area’s veterans. My son and I just happened up there in Readstown for dinner and wound up eating for free. It was really quite a surprise. The food was as good as the service. Both were outstanding. Thank you for the meal. It was the first sign of appreciation from a local business I’ve received for my service in WWII and the Korean War and I definitely appreciate it.
And now, the good stuff. I would appreciate it if everyone who lives along Highway 131 north from Main Street to Brockway and Sons call the village office and tell them you want the speed limit changed to 25 miles per hour along that stretch of highway. Since I have been on the village board, I have been fighting for this and not getting much support from our other board members. The current speed of 45 miles per hour isn’t safe. Anyone walking along the highway to get to the only grocery store in town has to take their life in their own hands. There are also children along that stretch of road. We have been lucky so far, but I don’t want to wait until something happens to act on this dangerous situation.
We have the legal right to change the speed limit. We received information on state statutes governing speed limits inside the village’s corporate limits from Senator Jennifer Shilling’s office. We were referred to the following statutes:
Wis. Stats. 346.57 (Speed Restrictions): https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/346/IX/57
Wis. Stats. 349.11 (Authority to modify speed restrictions): http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/349/II/11
These statutes describe in detail the speed requirements for state highways in a municipality and from what I have learned the speed limit on any stretch of state highway inside a municipality with residences or businesses averaging 200 feet apart in any 1,000 feet of roadway is supposed to be 25 m.p.h. That speed can be adjusted up or down by 10 miles per hour if it is deemed to be necessary and prudent.
We have also written to other governmental bodies and received no reply. I don’t want to mention any names, but then again, why not. We wrote to Wisconsin State Representative Lee Nerrison and Crawford County Sheriff Dale McCullick and received no response.
That highway wasn’t meant to have pedestrian traffic on it. The shoulder isn’t a safe place to walk or ride a bike if the cars are flying past you with only a couple feet of air to keep you from being struck. We all know that if the speed limit is 45 mph, people will be going at least 10 mph over that. You can watch this almost every morning as people race to where they’re going.
The difference in the time it takes to drive from the Marketplace to Main Street at 25 miles per hour is really not that much, when you consider the safety of those who have no other choice but to walk to the store or the library or the village office. And with winter coming it is only going to get worse.
Please consider the safety of those who have no other choice but to use that highway on foot or on a bicycle. A child is worth far more than a few seconds off someone’s driving time. So please contact the Village Office at 735-4341 and let them know you think someone’s life is more important than a few seconds off another’s driving time.
Sincerely,
- John R. Johnson
