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Incompatible Traffic Mix
No place to pull over
WisDOT is responsible for providing a safe, functional, and reliable
transportation system for the public.
Once the bridges and their approaches are brought up to current
safety standards, traffic analyses indicate that general traffic
will increase, with a marked increase in truck traffic due to
the elimination of the restrictions on bridges.
Slower traffic will be mixed with traffic attempting to drive
at speeds similar to other rural segments north and south of the
project (55mph). This could lead to a dangerous passing maneuvers
because of limited passing opportunities. The safest facility
is one where everyone drives approximately the same speed.
From a 10/99 WDOT HWY 131 Project Update attempting to explain
why the highway is being designed to a 55mph standard.
Student south of Viola biking toward Kickapoo High School
HWY 131 from Readstown to about three miles north of Viola,
for the most part, has no shoulders and a number of 45mph speed
zones. There are limited passing opportunities on this section
of HWY 131. The present composition of traffic on this section
includes farm machinery, recreational bicyclists, children bicycling
from Readstown to the swimming pool in Viola, retirees taking
leisurely Sunday drives, and tourists taking in the scenery. Sometimes
the tourists pull their cars half off the road, for lack of a
proper shoulder, to get out and take a photo. Adding a marked
increase in truck traffic to this section of highway will
create a dangerous situation. Trucks, and other through vehicles,
are sometimes on tight schedules. The narrowness of the road and
lack of shoulders will jeopardize bicyclists being passed by trucks.
Highway 131, north of Viola, as maintained during the winter
If the proposed HWY 131 project is completed, most of the extra
traffic will also flow through Tomah, Wilton, Ontario, LaFarge,
Viola, and Readstown. This project does not include any financial
help to these towns to help them safely accommodate the extra
and different mix of traffic. After being stuck behind a tractor
for a while, with no place to pass, towns are not a good place
for frustrated drivers to make up lost time.
Mobile home on HWY 131 entering Viola from the South
SUGGESTION
Instead of squandering $15 million on flattening hills and a
two-hundred foot wide fence-to-fence right of way between Ontario
and Rockton to accommodate a marked increase in truck traffic,
the money could be better spent equally improving all remaining
unimproved sections of HWY 131. First, spend what is necessary
to have safe bridges. The remaining money could be used to improve
dangerous corners, provide some shoulders and guardrails, and
perhaps bicycle lanes. This would better meet WDOT's stated goal
of building a highway which has segments of similar standards
while reducing the increased volume of incompatable traffic a
major north-south trunk route design would attract. This solution
would meet KVSA's goal.
A COMPARISON
During the summer of 1999, WDOT upgraded HWY 82 for several
miles west of Lafarge. Average daily traffic volume on this section
of HWY 82 was 1017 vehicles per day prior to the upgrade. Shoulders
were upgraded, guardrails were installed, and some curves were
improved. Wider fence-to-fence right of ways were not provided.
WDOT expects to accomodate 980 vehicles per day on its proposed
new segment of HWY 131 between Ontario and Rockton in the year
2011. This is less traffic than on HWY 82 prior to its upgrade.
WDOT has failed to explain why it must design HWY 131 to a much
more expensive and heavier use standard to accommodate less traffic.
If WDOT designed the Rockton-Ontario HWY 131 segment to the same
standards as HWY 82, there would be surplus funds to improve HWY
131 north and south of Viola and provide assistance to Valley
villages.
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Highway 82
West of LaFarge, WI
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