City council rejects traffic lights at Traeger site; district to widen driveway and hold community listening sessions

Oshkosh — The district’s referendum update on Nov. 5 included a report that the City of Oshkosh Common Council voted down a proposed package of traffic improvements — including a traffic signal, a right-turn lane and flashing beacons — at the Traeger location tied to a referendum project.

District administrator Brian Yerkes (mister Yerke) told the board the measure had previously received a positive recommendation from the city transportation committee after a comprehensive traffic study, but council members concluded the traffic counts did not justify signals at this time. As a result, Yerkes said the district will expand the Traeger driveway to four lanes to ease left- and right-turn movement and will line up an adjacent business driveway in anticipation that signals could be added later if counts change and the city takes responsibility for signal installation.

Yerkes also said the district will host neighborhood listening sessions to review building design and construction logistics: a Franklin session on Nov. 20 and an Oakwood session on Dec. 2, both scheduled for 6 p.m. District staff and consultants from Bray and Associates and the city planning services will attend.

Why it matters: Traffic and safety around school construction sites are matters of local concern that interact with municipal authority. Yerkes told the board the city—not the district—would bear responsibility for signal installation if future counts require it, but the district will move forward with driveway reconfiguration to improve traffic flow in the near term.

Ending: Board members encouraged continued advocacy from parents and staff about safety features while acknowledging the council’s decision, and staff said they will continue work with city planning and present designs at the upcoming listening sessions.