WAUWATOSA, Wis. — Businesses along North Avenue in East Tosa are calling for more safety measures along the busy corridor, citing speeding drivers and repeated close calls involving pedestrians.
Kristen Blickle, owner of Happy Buddha Boutique, said the driving can be difficult, particularly as construction on nearby highways pushes drivers onto alternate routes.
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“The driving is pretty crazy,” Blickle said. “People go way too fast, and don’t stop for pedestrians.”
Kaeli Leffler, who works at North Avenue Grill, said she regularly sees problems involving pedestrians trying to cross the street.
“There are a lot of people crossing, but cars are not stopping for people trying to cross,” Leffler said. “Cars also are having a hard time turning off of the side streets.”
One of those concerns came after a crash Friday afternoon near 72nd Street and North Avenue. According to police, a 52-year-old Milwaukee man crashed into a parked car, and that vehicle then struck another car.
Police said the driver showed signs of impairment and was arrested for his third OWI. No one was injured, but businesses say the concern extends beyond individual crashes.
According to Wisconsin Community Maps data, nearly four dozen people have been injured in crashes along North Avenue between 60th Street and 75th Street since 2020.
“For pedestrians especially, it would be nice if crosswalks had those lights,” Leffler said.
Blickle said she would like to see more traffic-calming measures along the corridor.
“Definitely need more bump-outs, flashing lights at crosswalks, and people need to slow down,” she said.
Amanda Williams, executive director of the East Tosa Business Improvement District, said traffic safety is one of the BID’s top priorities.
The BID was created last year, and Williams was named its first executive director in August.
“We also really, really need drivers to slow down,” Williams said.
Williams said the BID is working with the city on potential short-term traffic-calming solutions, including ways to better highlight pedestrian crossings.
“We are trying to come up with a plan for that, so that we can have some short-term solutions that are a little bit faster than what we’ve seen before,” Williams said.
North Avenue redesign planned
The city is already planning a redesign of North Avenue over the next few years, which includes pedestrian improvements and other safety changes.
The project is planned west of 76th Street and at the intersection of Highway 181, with construction scheduled for 2028-2029.
Williams said she believes improvements are needed in East Tosa, too.
“It is absolutely,” Williams said. “I’ve had conversations with city engineers and the mayor, and I think we’ve all recognized that.”
The city said it shares the community’s concerns following the recent crash and called safe streets a top priority.
“Traffic engineering decisions must be grounded in complete, objective data and budget,” a city spokesperson said in a statement. “While there is no immediate engineering change planned for this specific intersection, major infrastructure improvements are on the horizon.”
The city said the upcoming construction projects along North Avenue and Highway 181 will introduce traffic-calming features, including narrower streets and dedicated bike lanes, to improve safety across the broader corridor.
Williams said the BID hopes smaller changes can happen around East Tosa sooner.
“I think that there are little band-aids that we can definitely place to really improve the speed and make sure people understand that this area is about community,” she said.
This story was reported on-air by Kaylee Staral and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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