When No One Is Responsible

When No One Is Responsible

This is the first of our efforts to be the “glue” around the North Shore. This crossing is known to be dangerous by anyone who uses it, but progress has been slow since you could potentially make the case that there are far more than a typical amount of stakeholders. What follows is an overview of the issues, possible solutions, and who might want to see something improve here.

What is the Location?

Hampton Ave and the Oak Leaf Trail, approximately 190 E Hampton Road. East of Port Washington Road, at the North end of Estabrook Park.

A view looking East down Hampton of the crossing. It shows numerous cars approaching the trail and multiple signs. A person walking appears to have just crossed the street.
Looking East on Hampton Ave at the trail crossing.

Why is this area notable?

A recent crash involving a bicyclist has reinvigorated discussions about improving the safety for all users at this intersection. Not long before the crash, MKE County improved the warning signage for the crossing, and just West of the location, Milwaukee added crosswalk warning signs for the next two closest crosswalks. The area is bounded by stoplights at Port Washington, and stoplights at Santa Monica with the MCTS 68 bus line on the West and the MCTS 14 bus line on the East. The area is a dense mixed used area with multifamily homes on one side, a County park on the other, and numerous popular business establishments frequented by kids, families, and people of all ages and abilities.

Throughout the entire year this is a very active corridor of people commuting, recreating, and otherwise traveling by bike, on foot, or rolling. Notable nearby destinations include Estabrook Park and its beer garden, Lincoln Park, numerous childcare facilities on Port Washington Road, Dairy Queen, Aliotas, and other points radiating outward from this intersection, including numerous Oak Leaf Trail spurs that connect to some of these points. Hampton Ave, west of Port Washington Road, and Port Washington Road itself, is on the Milwaukee County Corridors of Concern list.

Specific data on this location isn’t readily available, but counters at Capitol Drive operated by SEWRPC counted nearly 500,000 riders a year, in 2020. These numbers almost certainly have increased since then.

How common is this?

The last 10 years of crash history from WisDOT crash reports show a regular cadence of crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists. Additionally, there is a frequent correlation with 65+ drivers, and a frequent occurrence in February and July. These patterns perhaps indicate a confluence of visibility, or driver awareness but more data would be needed to draw conclusions.

  • July 13, 2026 - Bicyclist (C - Possible Injury), 65+ Driver
  • February 15, 2026 - Pedestrian (B - Suspected Minor Injury)
  • February 22, 2024 - Bicyclist (B - Suspected Minor Injury)
  • July 28, 2022 - Bicyclist (A - Suspected Serious Injury), 65+ Driver
  • February, 24, 2017 - Bicyclist (B - Suspected Minor Injury)

Possible Solutions

The most important factor in improving outcomes is a reduction of speed, especially that of drivers. Slower speeds expand the visual field of the driver, provides them more time to avoid a collision, and greatly improves survivability of any crash involved person, inside or out of the car.

There are many possible solutions, many of which will be an improvement but they will all share the same traits - reducing conflicts, and reducing speeds. Ideas provided here are only meant to begin a conversation, but analysis by street safety experts and advocates should inform a final plan. Additionally, it should be possible to implement this in numerous phases, starting from the simplest and most cost-effective versions, using that to guide future permanent implementations, and utilizing new funding sources as they present themselves.

Current Crossing Geometry

The configuration of the crossing is a 10ft wide multi-use path intended for all non-motorized uses. It intersects Hampton Ave at an angle. Hampton Ave is a full width street with 12ft wide lanes, an 8ft median, and 6ft wide shoulders - the full crossing distance due to the angled crossing is approximately 64ft. Hampton Ave is 30mph on the Milwaukee side.

Potential Strategies

Ideas here are ordered roughly from easiest and cheapest to most ambitious.

  • Temporary water filled barriers placed in a way that reduces the shoulder width, shortening the crossing distance. Passing on the right while a driver waits is an observed behavior here.
  • Improved crosswalk painting, utilizing green paint and/or modern high-viz striping.
  • Street lettering to further denote “BIKE XING”
  • Semi-permanent plastic delineator posts that narrow the crossing distance of the trail in a similar manner as the water barriers.
  • Configuring the delineators in a way that moves the Hampton crossing closer to a 90 degree angle. This will improve driver visibility and better manage speeds.
  • Concrete jersey barriers that add physical protection to riders and pedestrians waiting to cross Hampton.
  • Additional trees to visually narrow the corridor
  • Flashing beacons that are automatically activated as bicyclists and pedestrians approach, they do not obligate drivers to stop.
  • Stop light that’s activated in a similar manner, similar to what Portland uses.

Visual Examples

Here are some examples showing rough approximations of what a future implementation might look like.

Here’s bollards used to narrow and manage approaching vehicle speed:

White and yellow bollards placed in car lanes to build a temporary chicane to slow drivers as they approach.
Crossing in Austin, TX using bollards to manage car speeds. Source: @nactocities Instagram.

Another example of using primarily paint and simple devices to manage speeds.

Street with paint and plastic bollards and small curbs to more clearly mark a crossing.
Using paint, bollards, and small curbs to narrow crossings.

Narrowing the crossing distance can be done using slightly more permanent devices, but ones that perhaps look nicer!

Concrete planters placed around a crosswalk to narrow the crossing.
Concrete planters placed around a crosswalk to shorten the crossing distance, in a visually pleasing way.

While the crossing is somewhat raised because of it’s history as a rail crossing, the visuals could be improved with paint, a better crosswalk pattern, and eventually, a steeper incline.

Raised colored crosswalk and modern crossing pattern.
A raised crosswalk on S Pennsylvania Ave and E Oklahoma Ave in Milwaukee.

Many more concepts can be explored via NACTO.

Repeating the Pattern

It’s also worth noting that there are numerous trail crossings heading North within the County and even some on or adjacent to County land or rights of way. Their proximity to this main intersection, or other roads on the County high risk corridor should also be taken into account - a system is only as safe as the sum of its parts. Remaining crossings beyond Hampton include:

  • Lydell
  • Mill Rd (has illuminated bike signs)
  • Good Hope Rd (County Highway)
  • Calumet (Brown Deer Park entrance)
  • Bradley Rd
  • Green Bay Rd (reasonably safe roundabout design)
  • Brown Deer Rd (significant traffic control, but puts car traffic as priority)
  • County Line Rd

Directly Relevant Local Representatives


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