click here to sign the petition which will be submitted to the Gibraltar Town Board and WI DOT
Concern: It is not safe for kids to cross Highway 42
State Highway 42, where it passes in front of the Town of Gibraltar schools, has become more dangerous. There are now 3 non profits, elementary, and high schools and Peninsula State Park. People cross Highway 42 at all times of the day and in the evening all year long. The YMCA opened in 1999. After school, children through grade 5 have to be bused across the highway to the Y to attend classes. Door Community Auditorium opened in 1991 and Peninsula School of Arts opened in 1965, There is a police car after school to remind drivers to slow down and a yellow overhead blinking light to try to make it safer to cross after school.
Responsibility
Although the DOT and the Town of Gibraltar pay for highway improvements, children from Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, Baileys Harbor, Sister Bay, Ellison Bay and Ephraim who attend Gibraltar School are also at risk every time they have to cross the highway. As adults, it is our job to protect the kids. We cannot wait for one inattentive child playing tag with friends to get hurt or killed.
Past Ideas for making Highway 42 in Front of Gibraltar Schools Safer
A bridge over, a tunnel under, a roundabout, stop signs and even diverting Highway 42 down Hwy F to Hwy A and back to Highway 42 have been considered.
Current plan projected to be completed by July of 2020.
Concerned committees and highway planners in the town of Gibraltar should be commended and thanked for 5+ years of hard work with the State DOT to attempt to design a safer crossing.
Concerns
While costly and lovely, the current new design will not be much safer. It will be expensive to build and upkeep. Police will still need to be hired after school to sit in a car to remind motorists to slow down. It will be risky for people to cross the highway at all other times. The unsafe highway crossing limits collaboration of the school with PSA and Y at other times of the day and makes it difficult for the Y and PSA to use Peninsula State Park for classes.
It was the best choice…until now
Unfortunately, this idea was not thought of until early in January. It is 100% safe and may be more cost effective than the currently approved plan. Local leaders liked the idea, but there was hesitation because they thought it was too late and they already put in much effort and money. The deadline was delayed in January because the DOT told the Town of Gibraltar that their share of improvements would cost an additional $550 thousand. The date will be reset when new bids are in. This means there might be time to consider a safe design.
A Safe Plan
Highway 42 would turn on F and continue on F a few tenths of a mile to a new section of highway to be built from F past PSA and the Y and back to highway 42.
- One leader said the campus, including the Gibraltar school, the 3 non profits and the State park would provide unlimited opportunities.
- Another said it will preserve the beautiful ambiance of Northern Door County and might provide a safe bicycle and hiking path along the new stretch of 42.
- There would be a minimum amount of construction disruption while work is being done because it would not require shutting down the highway for months and rerouting traffic to county highways. The plan would use Highway 42 while the new road is constructed.
- Work would be done during the quiet season with minimum effect on transient rentals. Rental properties would benefit from a community campus to offer guests.
- Future maintenance would be less and it may even cost less to build. There could be grant and fundraising opportunities for school/community collaboration. There may be some sustainability funding available.
- Peninsula School of Arts and the YMCA would now have Highway 42 access. PSA and the YMCA could now safely build lifelong habits with the students at Gibraltar, just as Door Community Auditorium does currently.
- The speed limit should be slower in the campus neighborhood for minimum disruption to neighbors
- This belated idea, hatched in early January, is much safer and potentially more cost effective than the currently approved plan. Is it too late to consider it? The general consensus is yes. It would have been easier to accept the conclusion that it is too late. I will just keep kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. However, because kids and tourists will still be in danger every time they cross the highway, I felt compelled to discuss the idea with community leaders.