MONROE - The Monroe Public Safety Committee Monday night voted to hold off making any changes to the traffic lights at the intersection of Wisconsin 69 and Eighth Street.
The Monroe Fire Department had requested to have traffic lights remain in the normal daytime mode at Wis. 69 and Eighth Street. The lights are in flashing mode from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
Deputy Fire Chief Lane Heins said a recent accident at the intersection brought the concern of high-speed impacts and the need for multiple resources to the attention of the Fire Department.
According to Police Captain Jim Kosack, the intersection had seven accidents with property damage in 2007, and two such accidents in 2008. Reportable accidents have property damage costing at least $1,000.
But two accidents with injuries have occurred in 2008, while none were reported in 2007. Heins said those statistics do not include the number of "near misses" reported by citizens.
The Police Department did not have the recorded times of the accidents at the meeting.
The state has no interest in how the city handles the traffic lights at the intersection, but reports that Wis. 69 is "heavily traveled" and a major portion of the traffic is truck traffic, according to Mayor Ron Marsh.
But committee members were not convinced the change was needed.
Chairman Chuck Koch said he liked the idea when Fire Chief Daryl Rausch first requested the change, but had changed his mind.
"There's no traffic most the that time at night," he said.
Member Keith Ingwell expressed concern that drivers would get impatient sitting at a red light when no other traffic was coming. But Street Supervisor Tom Boll said the streets had pavement sensors in them.
Changing the light mode would be at little or no cost to the city, but without that option, Heins suggested more signage could be added to warn drivers of the upcoming lights.
Although the committee vetoed the request to change the lights, they did leave the option open for the Fire Department to contact engineers to see if any other city in the state has done something similar, and to bringing the issue back for further discussion.
The Monroe Fire Department had requested to have traffic lights remain in the normal daytime mode at Wis. 69 and Eighth Street. The lights are in flashing mode from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
Deputy Fire Chief Lane Heins said a recent accident at the intersection brought the concern of high-speed impacts and the need for multiple resources to the attention of the Fire Department.
According to Police Captain Jim Kosack, the intersection had seven accidents with property damage in 2007, and two such accidents in 2008. Reportable accidents have property damage costing at least $1,000.
But two accidents with injuries have occurred in 2008, while none were reported in 2007. Heins said those statistics do not include the number of "near misses" reported by citizens.
The Police Department did not have the recorded times of the accidents at the meeting.
The state has no interest in how the city handles the traffic lights at the intersection, but reports that Wis. 69 is "heavily traveled" and a major portion of the traffic is truck traffic, according to Mayor Ron Marsh.
But committee members were not convinced the change was needed.
Chairman Chuck Koch said he liked the idea when Fire Chief Daryl Rausch first requested the change, but had changed his mind.
"There's no traffic most the that time at night," he said.
Member Keith Ingwell expressed concern that drivers would get impatient sitting at a red light when no other traffic was coming. But Street Supervisor Tom Boll said the streets had pavement sensors in them.
Changing the light mode would be at little or no cost to the city, but without that option, Heins suggested more signage could be added to warn drivers of the upcoming lights.
Although the committee vetoed the request to change the lights, they did leave the option open for the Fire Department to contact engineers to see if any other city in the state has done something similar, and to bringing the issue back for further discussion.