The other night, during the Winter 2008-2009 Inaugural Traffic Snarl, I was bluntly reminded of one of the very few issues I have with Wauwatosa.

 

You see, as I’ve said here, many times, I’m a Tosa Enthusiast. I love all things Tosa, except for this. What’s the problem, you ask? Well, Tosa during a snowstorm can be like Mt. Everest – pretty to look at but tough to summit.

 

It was around 6:30 pm and I was returning home after an appointment in West Allis. Generally, that’s a 10 minute trip. I prepared for a delay, but didn’t expect the toughest part to be less than a mile from my home.

 

I exited the highway at 84^th Street and figured I’d take one of my many super-and-maybe-not-so-secret ways through the village. Great idea, except for during a sorta-snow/ice storm. The Harmonee Bridge was closed. It was gridlock. Nobody was moving.

 

If you know that area, you know that, near the Tosa Village, there are only two ways to get from south to north – The Harmonee Bridge or 70^th/68^th street. Everything in-between is off-limits…to cars, that is.

 

The other issue is that “north Tosa” is higher than “south Tosa” and the tiniest bit of ice can make it virtually impossible to get from one end of town to the next.

 

On a typical day, commuting through Tosa works pretty well. Sure, it’s a little putzy to navigate the streets where you can’t turn left during rush hour, but once you figure it out, it’s fine. During the “traffic snarl,” it was a nightmare. At one point, I considered abandoning my car and walking home. In fact, if I had done that, it probably would have lessened my one hour commute.

 

And so, in mid-November, I was slapped upside the head by Mother Nature. “It’s winter, dummy! Drive carefully!”

 

Sigh.

Along with my drab obsession with things that are too soon Christmasy, I’ve also recently taken a keen interest in driving. This is primarily because we have a fledgling driver in our house. What this means is that my knuckles are white, my right calf is sore from slamming down on my imaginary brake pedal and I’m frequently subjected to "driving criticism."

 

A typical ride in my car with my teen as a passenger sounds like this:

 

“You didn’t come to a complete stop.”

 

“You would have failed the test for that.”

 

“You’re speeding, Mom - jeez!”

 

And yes, I’m guilty of sometimes going a little over the posted speed limit. But I’ve also noticed that in certain areas, other drivers make me seem as if I’m driving a horse and buggy.

 

One of these areas is Wells Street, between 68^th and Hawley Road. I’ve spent a fair number of late afternoons parked on this street while I waited for my daughter’s music lesson to finish. I don’t think that I’m exaggerating when I say that 50 mph is the average speed on this street. Frankly, I’ve worried a few times that I’d get sideswiped.

 

There are a few other areas where it seems like drivers make up for lost time:

 

Wisconsin Avenue between 68^th and Hawley

Milwaukee Avenue between 83^rd and Church Street

Bluemound Road between Hawley and 68^th

124^th Street between Burleigh and North Ave.

Swan Boulevard between Watertown Plank and Menomonee River Parkway

Menomonee River Parkway between Swan and the Harmonee Bridge

 

I never had complaints about people speeding until I had to calm down a student driver who was being tailgated. I have to tell you, it’s not very fun.

 

Anyway, I guess my point is, it’s up to you whether or not you decide to speed. I’m just asking you to exercise caution when kids are around and patience when you are following teens that are learning to drive. I promise, we’ll be out of your way soon enough.

 

 

Millie (see above) and I took a walk on this splendid, picture-perfect, day. She had a lot on her mind. Here are some things that she was wondering:

 

Millie wonders why some dogs walk their owners versus the other way around. How can that be fun with all the pulling and choking going on?

 

Millie wonders why the bike path/walking path for Menomonee River Parkway begins at the Harmonee Bridge and ends prior to Swan Boulevard. Did they think that people would be too tired to continue?

 

Millie wonders why some people bike, run or walk on the left side of the path.

 

Millie wonders why parking is allowed on both sides of the parkway when soccer games are being played. It seems so dangerous with so many kids running in between cars and across the road and people getting in their cars with little regard for traffic.

 

Millie wonders why I wouldn’t let her consume the old breadstick that she found on the sidewalk.

 

Millie wonders why drivers in Tosa interpret stop signs as “slow down” signs and roll through intersections.

 

Millie wonders if the street repairs at the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Wauwatosa Avenue will ever be finished.

 

Millie wonders why the Root Commons Park (area in front of Drews) is called the Root Commons Park.

 

Millie wonders if any Tosa mayoral candidates have a chance against joeythelovesponge.

 

Millie wonders if we realize how lucky we are to have Ray’s here in Tosa with its amazing wine selection and knowledgeable staff.

 

Millie wonders if that store near 92^nd and North is really called Wallpaper Wallpaper.

 

Millie wonders if the Times Cinema will ever invest in slightly more comfortable seating to match the great films and great ownership.

 

Millie wonders if The Firefly will ever expand its menu and if it will ever be open for lunch.

 

Millie wonders if and when the new recycling program will start in Tosa and if many of us will get stuck with extra blue bags when it does.

 

Millie wonders why we all can’t just have trick or treat on Halloween (a.k.a. October 31st) from now on.

 

Millie wonders whether your pet is wondering anything about Wauwatosa.....? 

 

Maybe it’s the uber-cold weather making me cranky or the fact that my teenager and I have been together for 4 straight days, but I have to rant a bit about one of my traffic pet peeves. On the corner of Watertown Plank and Swan Boulevard, which isn’t really a corner so much as an on-off ramp to the freeway, there is a yield sign. This yield sign applies to all cars going from westbound Watertown Plank onto Swan Boulevard or Hwy 45 North.

I looked up the definition and in traffic-speak, yield means: “a driver gives the right-of-way to another driver or pedestrian.” Here’s my beef: Everyone ignores this sign, including the woman driving today at around 12:30 pm who blew through it as I was exiting Hwy 45 North onto Swan Boulevard. If you are reading this, you might remember me. I honked…loudly. I think in driver’s education they would call it an “angry blast.”

My point here is that the yield sign needs to be enhanced and drivers need to obey it. Today was especially important because the falling snow and frigid temperatures made road conditions slippery. Perhaps people have their minds on other things and don’t notice the sign. I’m just waiting for the day when something happens and I’m there to see it. I hope I’m wrong, but I doubt it.

What about you? Are there areas in Tosa where drivers are careless or negligent? E-mail me at westsidestoriestosa@yahoo.com.

 

Thanks to the mysterious explosion at the Department of Public Works this weekend, we'll have to do a bit more work to make sure our recyclables are truly recycled. The fire knocked out the facility where recyclables are separated and so "the city will not be picking up the recycling bags curbside until officials determine how to handle separation of the recycling matter."

In the meantime, "residents are being urged to continue their recycling efforts and are asked to bring their recyclables to the city's drop-off center, which will continue to operate on a regular schedule, and will be open weekdays and Saturday mornings." I can't help but wonder how many Tosa residents will actually take this extra step. Hmmm...

Speaking of extra effort and something that will require some extra patience, I recommend avoiding the Harmonee Bridge at all costs in the next couple of weeks. Repair work has reduced traffic to one lane each way causing huge backups and commuter delays. 68th or 70th Street may be faster alternatives until this unexpected construction project is finished. We can only hope that this project won't last as long as the repairs on Milwaukee Avenue east of 76th Street.

This goes out to all the runners and joggers out there, or at least those of you that run at night: Please stay off the streets at night - literally. It's Daylight Savings Time and by 5:00 pm, Wauwatosa is dark and the streets are busy...with cars. But lately, while driving at "rush hour," I've had to deal with runners sharing the road with me. I'm telling you, it's dangerous. Sure, you're wearing your glowing, reflective apparel, but you're running dangerously close to traffic. Why, when we live in a community with abundant sidewalks, do you need to be on the street where drivers have to take a wide, and hazardous, berth to avoid you?

This is primarily a problem on Menomonee River Parkway on the stretch between 92nd Street and North Avenue where there are no sidewalks. Why can't you alter your route at dark and avoid this area? Amy Dedow has already shared her story of her husband's bike accident and that was during daylight hours. I worry that something similar will happen with a runner after dark. I hope I'm wrong.

The Pasadena neighborhood, sometimes known as the Christ King neighborhood, is a little less happy than it usually is. Sure, it’s a grand example of location, location, location….but for once, their location is less than ideal. You see, the folks that live around the much beloved gourmet grocery store, Sendik’s, have a bit of a beef, and we’re not talking teriyaki or Kobe. The problem is that the employees of Sendik’s are clogging up Meineke Street, one block north of the store. The folks that live on Meineke not only can’t park on the street themselves, but they have a difficult time getting in and out of their driveways because there are so many employees' cars parked on both sides of the street. It’s a bit like your next door neighbor having a huge party…every day. The folks that run Sendik’s thought they were being customer-friendly by leaving their entire lot open for shoppers, rather than employees, but now they’re making the surrounding neighbors very unhappy and not very friendly. I’ve heard of many suggestions that have been proposed to alleviate this problem, none of which really makes everyone happy. Sometimes it’s tough for a great business to coexist with a great neighborhood, but I feel confident that a creative idea will arise out of this discussion. It just seems that Sendik’s would be wise to remember that the customer is always right.

Here in Tosa, we’re blessed with many great schools. Some public, some private. On any given morning or afternoon, from September through June, you’ll see packs of kids walking to and from school. As we know, surrounding these schools, there are School Zones which are designed for children’s safety. There are posted signs and stop signs and speed limits intended to get people to SLOW DOWN. However, it appears that all School Zones are not created equal. Surrounding McKinley, there are 4-way stop signs at every corner. Over on 89th and Clarke Street, just north of McKinley School and just East of Christ King School, there are stop signs for East and Westbound drivers. There are NOT, however, stop signs for North and Southbound drivers. This has become a problem. A BIG problem. Kids walking to either school have to use extreme caution at this intersection. The families that live around this area want to know why there isn’t a 4-way stop sign here. It’s a good question. I’ve driven through that intersection for years and I know that if you’re not looking carefully, drivers (usually those going downhill Southbound) blast through the intersection without looking. It truly is an accident waiting to happen. A friend told me that her family cat was recently killed by a driver going too fast and not watching where he/she was going. This time it was an animal. Will it be a child next time? Is it such a huge inconvenience that we can’t have more stop signs surrounding our schools? Are we in that much of a hurry?

You know it’s autumn in Wauwatosa when you see the start of leaf piles on the side of the streets. In mid-September, they’re modest little mounds, sometimes highlighted by remnants of geraniums, impatiens and other varieties of expired annuals. By the end of October, they’ve grown in girth and are topped off with a pumpkin and a gourd or two. By early November, they’re the size of a small bungalow and create challenging “street slaloms,” much like those found on the east end of North Avenue, as mentioned by fellow blogger Norm Wahn.

When I was a child, leaf piles were a seasonal joy. They were so fun and tempting to jump into. But those were the days (jeez, I sound old) when the piles were on our lawns and my dad would burn them to get rid of them. In Tosa today, we’re advised to rake or blow them to the side of the streets where they will eventually get picked up by the city. It’s a great system, until you have to drive around these mammoth piles late in the season when they’ve been combined together on narrow streets like Ludington where two cars can barely pass each other on a sunny summer day. Caution and braking are definitely in order. And if you’re new to the area (listen up, Mitch!), do not even think of parking on top of or driving through a leaf pile. I know, it’s tempting when parking is scarce and you might have to walk an extra half-block to your house. But the sight of your car bursting into flames might make that walk seem shorter. And the thought of plowing through one of those piles sounds fun, but it can be really, really dangerous.

In a community blessed with so many trees, perhaps leaf piles, although sometimes annoying, are merely our seasonal reminder that it’s time to slow down and enjoy the view. It is spectacular, after all.

This past weekend, we were listing to Car Talk on National Public Radio and a caller asked if it was harmful to his car to do a “South Philly Roll.” He then had to explain that throughout Philadelphia, presumably on the South Side, it is common to roll through stop signs. Well, who knew that Wauwatosa would have something in common with Philly?!

Since Tosa is primarily residential, we are a community of many stop signs. We are also, apparently, a city that likes to ignore its stop signs. I’m sure we’re not unique in this tendency, and perhaps its something we share with Whitefish Bay, for instance, but I wish we didn’t.

Nowhere is there a more flagrant disregard for a stop sign than drivers heading eastbound on North Ave, turning south onto Menomonee River Parkway. Yesterday, my husband and I saw a woman barely tap her brake pedal and blast through that stop sign. In frustration, my husband honked his horn and glared at her and she was clueless as to what she had done. If you’re a pedestrian trying to cross at that stop sign, proceed at your own risk because chances are, those drivers will never see you.

In our neighborhood, which encompasses Lincoln Elementary and Tosa East High School, this becomes a dangerous bad habit as kids are crossing at virtually every single intersection. And it’s not just the stop signs that are subject to the Tosa Roll, it’s also those taking advantage of the right turn on red, and apparently ignoring the part about “unless children are present.”

Look, I’m not trying to be preachy. I’ve done my fair share of Tosa Rolls, but I think I’ll try to be a little more patient when kids are around. Plus, I’ve usually got a soon-to-be driver in my passenger seat watching my every move. It’s up to me to set a good example.

It’s a fresh summer day here in Tosa and with the anticipation of school hanging in the air, it’s only appropriate that I mention the new road stripes that we have on Milwaukee Avenue. Apparently, the Road Striping Fairies were busy last night because when I awoke this morning, our road was freshly striped in a lovely, bright yellow that, of course, indicates opposing traffic. I learned that from the often inaccurate site Wikipedia which also told me that road striping has been around since the early 1950s. I hope you enjoyed this moment of transportation geekiness. Way more than you ever wanted to know about road stripes. Gee, with new stripes and new pedestrian signals up the street, this is just too much excitement to bear. Sorry folks, it's a slow news day.

If you haven’t driven by the corner of Milwaukee Ave. and 76th Street/Wauwatosa Ave., there’s a new addition to the traffic signals. We now not only have new “walk/don’t walk” figures, but we also now know that we have exactly 36 or less seconds to cross the street. (The number seems to change, perhaps on weekends.) The moment the light turns green and we get the “walk” sign, the numbers start counting down. It’s intriguing and surprisingly informative. I’ve never really thought about how much time I have to cross the street there, but it always seemed like I had enough. However, when school lets out, I can see where this information could be very helpful for the many children from Lincoln and Tosa East trying to cross the street.

This new addition made me think where else this traffic light enhancement could be used. Immediately I thought of the left turn signal at 92nd and North. If you’ve ever turned left off of North Ave., you know that this has to be the shortest left turn signal in the history of traffic signals. It would not be an exaggeration to say that two cars getting through that light would be a significant accomplishment. As a driver, I always hope that I’m not behind someone new to the area if I have to turn left because I know that the chances of making it through the arrow are slim to none. That moment’s hesitation greatly reduces your chances!

Another spot would be smack-dab in the middle of the village stoplight at Wauwatosa Ave. in front of St. Bernard’s and then the newer light between Vino 100 and The Flower Lady. At both of those spots, you take your life in your hands crossing the street before impatient drivers chase you out of the crosswalk and back safely on land.

Here in our community of abundant sidewalks and walking paths, we still make it a challenge to be a pedestrian. This new traffic lights shift the power of the intersection slightly back toward the people standing on the corner. And isn’t that where it should be?

According to a recent story on Channel 4 news, the most dangerous intersection in Southeast Wisconsin is in Wauwatosa. According to that report, the intersection at Highway 45 and Capitol Drive is the most dangerous, followed by Highway 45 and Silver Spring and Barker and Bluemound Road. I’ve driven through all of these intersections many times, and I can vouch for the fact that you’d better be on your toes when you’re driving there. I find it a little hard to believe that ours is #1, but I guess somebody had to be in first place.

This got me thinking, there are a few other spots where driving in Tosa is challenging. North Avenue on a Saturday or a rush hour evening is plain crazy. There’s virtually no sense trying to turn left onto North Avenue from a side street during those times, unless you have hours to waste.

The traffic on Highway 100 through Wauwatosa almost keeps pace with the traffic on Highway 45. And still, it goes nowhere fast. And it will only get busier when the new Best Buy opens across the street from Mayfair Mall.

Driving through the village is always a bit tricky, primarily because of the number of pedestrians that you’ll encounter there. I think the trick is to just slow down and you’ll get to your destination in plenty of time.

Another spot that has always concerned me is the intersection of 88th and North. If you’re approaching it from the north, people seem to have different ideas of where their cars should be. If I’m proceeding straight through, I stay far to the right, because it’s a more direct route. However, I’ve had people pull along side me on the left and then go straight, which becomes dangerous. I’ve also seen many, many people run the red lights at that intersection. Needless to say, I always look both ways before crossing North Avenue.

What about you? Which intersections or streets do you think are dangerous? Are there any that you avoid? Where would you like to see more police presence to avoid collisions or dangerous speeders? E-mail me at westsidestoriestosa@yahoo.com and let me know.

Hands down, the thing that I love most about Wauwatosa is our proximity to practically everything. My husband likes to say that, with few exceptions, we’re 10 minutes from anywhere. That is, of course, an exaggeration, but we’re so spoiled by our location, I think we often take it for granted.

If we decide, at the last minute, to go to a Brewer game at Miller Park, we’re there in scant minutes, and that includes stopping on Bluemound to buy peanuts from the peanut guy. (Who, by the way, throws in baseball bubble gum with every $3 bag.) Tell that to a Cubs fan and they’ll groan, knowing that a trip to Wrigley Field is a 2-hour jaunt, each way, on a good day. No wonder they’re driving up here for games, they’re actually closer!

The Zoo? Five minutes, unless it’s Zoo a la Carte weekend. Summerfest? 15 minutes, except for the July 3rd Big Bang. Catching a game at the Bradley Center? I recommend city streets (the new Vliet Street Bridge will practically take you to the front door) to get you there in 20 minutes, unless playoffs, March Madness or bad weather intervene. State Fair? 10 minutes, as long as you figured out the traffic pattern and aren’t heading south on 84th street. (Heck, if you live in Ravenswood, you can walk to the fairgrounds, something unheard of in Illinois!)

What makes our location so ideal is that we can often avoid the freeway. In the midst of the Marquette Interchange Project, this is a huge advantage. Not to mention the fact that we get to get an up-close view of our neighboring communities, instead of driving by them at 50 mph.

The only negative aspect of Tosa being close to so much is that we’re starting to get a little...well, impatient. When our streets are under construction and we have to wait in line for a train, or a dump truck or to turn left at a stoplight, we tend to become antsy and wonder what’s taking so long. Next time that happens, imagine yourself on I-43 at Walnut, driving home to Mequon. Suddenly that delay on State Street doesn’t seem so irritating, does it?

If you’ve lived in Wauwatosa for any amount of time, you know that in some areas, parking is at a premium. There are certain places where, if you arrive at the wrong time, you will most certainly end up doing what I call the “Circle, Lurk and Park.” This means that you drive slowly, lurk in hopes that someone will be leaving soon and, if successful, eventually park in a much coveted spot.

One such destination is Drew’s Variety Store at around 3:15 pm on a weekday during the school year. And, if you’re unlucky to be a victim of Murphy’s Law, it will be a day when your child is in desperate need of a poster board and you have 5 minutes to get that child to some other appointment. At that time of day, there are precious few angled parking spaces near Drew’s and I, for one, have spent a few minutes circling the block past Bartolotta’s and Noodles, coming back in hopes that someone has left or lurking while a young mother with children in tow loads up her minivan. I know, I know, there are lots of parking spaces across the street behind Swan Interiors, but using them would mean that I’d actually have to cross the street and walk uphill to Drew’s – gasp!

Another place where you’ll see Circle, Lurk and Park in full operation is at Mayfair Mall, under the AMC Theatres during inclement weather. I’m completely guilty of making several passes before finally parking outside and walking the extra 20 yards, which I really should be doing since I’m usually about to consume sizeable quantities of popcorn and candy.

Yesterday, I found another “skimpy” parking situation over at the new City Market on North Avenue. As I mentioned in my June 26th post, this new eatery and bakery is finally open and already very popular. At around 12:30 pm yesterday, we also discovered that parking spaces were few and despite doing a Circle, Lurk and Park, we’d have to resort to street parking on Ludington or Jackson Park. Instead, we opted to go somewhere else. I don’t think we hurt City Market’s business for doing that, but I’m hoping that others won’t follow my poor example. Judging by the crowds on the patio, I think they’ll be just fine.

A few other challenging parking destinations are Balistreri’s on 68th and Wells, Sendik’s on a crowded weekend, the orthodontist office on 88th & North, Starbucks in the village, Wisconsin Garden & Pet in late spring and The Rosebud Theatre if you arrive right before the movie starts. I’ve seen many others doing the Circle, Lurk and Park at these locations, often successfully.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. This so-called parking problem wouldn’t even register in the minds of most New Yorkers that are accustomed to walking 10 blocks to get a decaf latte. I realize that walking to and from our fine village is something I should do much more often.

How about you? Do you Circle, Lurk and Park or do you hop on your Schwinn or slip on your Birkenstocks and walk up or down to your favorite village destination? Do you wish we had more parking or are you thankful that much of our Village hasn’t fallen victim to urban sprawl? Feel free to e-mail me on this or any other topic at westsidestoriestosa@yahoo.com . I’d love to hear from you!

I don’t know if I’m unique, but I always thought of Swan Boulevard, south of Menomonee River Parkway, as a well-kept secret. Once I had figured out that it was the quickest way to Highways 45 and 94 and a way to avoid Mayfair Mall traffic when trying to get to Bluemound Road, I was hooked. I even started suggesting it as a route to our house when friends and family from Illinois came to visit. (Hey, we have to let them in the state once in a while. Think of the tourism revenue!) And, I hate to admit it, but I sometimes go a little faster than the posted speed limit, due somewhat to the light traffic there most of the day, except at around 5 pm weekdays. All in all, Swan Boulevard was a nifty solution for my daily travels.

Well, that’s about to end...and soon. Signs posted along Menomonee River Parkway announce that there will be construction on Swan Boulevard beginning in July. According to the MMSD (Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District) website , Swan will be reduced to one lane each way for at least one year. And, the posted speed limit will be 25 mph. Gulp. This is going to be a very busy area...and not a shortcut at all. Suffice it to say, we should all consider an alternate route.

If you’ve driven through this area in the past couple of weeks, you’ve noticed that it has been transformed. Once the MMSD put up their bright orange fencing, the landscape went from wild, open fields to a giant, barren space that looks even larger than it did before. The change is startling, much like the transformation of Hart Park, which seems to have increased in size, since the beginning of that project.

For the last few years, in the fields far back of the county grounds near Swan Boulevard, crews have been busy digging and blasting, late into the night. In fact, a couple of years ago, the blasting was such that every day at around 8:00 am, the sirens would blare and our house would shake a bit. My husband jokes that perhaps they were building an underground missile silo under cover of Wauwatosa. Talk about a well-kept secret! Now that the county grounds have been cleared of brush and trees, his clandestine theory doesn’t seem so far-fetched. Although I, for one, am not big on conspiracy theories.

In any case, this mammoth project will not only take millions of dollars, it will take a lot of our patience. Relax, people. This is going to take a while. All we can hope is that in the end, our secret will be restored.