Continuing our discussion of the reconstruction of Wilson Drive, let's focus on accident statistics. I did some digging into some of the ideas contained in
the recent letter from Trustee Dawn Anderson.
Quote 1: “I'm routinely passed - on the right - by faster moving traffic. This to me seems a hazard to bikers in that lane - and to anyone planning a right turn!”
Quote 2: "People tend to drive faster on wider roads and in wider lanes, and more slowly on narrower roads. Wide roads are more difficult for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross because traffic is faster and the distance to cross is greater." (
READ FULL LETTER)
I decided to check into the number of accidents on Wilson Drive, to see if the hazards described in Trustee Anderson’s lead to significant traffic related incidents. Are there accidents involving pedestrians on Wilson Drive? Does the wider street cause higher speeds or irregular traffic patterns leading to a higher incidence of accidents?
To help answer these questions, I contacted the Shorewood Police Department, who provided the map below showing accidents in the last two years in the northwest sector of Shorewood, including Wilson Drive.
2006 Accidents
2005 Accidents
A brief glance will show you two interesting things.
1. The number of accidents on Wilson Drive is miniscule, especially when compared to the sections of Oakland Ave and Capitol Dr that are visible on the map. There have been just as many accidents on Kensington Blvd in the last 2 years as there have been on Wilson Dr.
2. We have not experienced a single accident
involving a pedestrian on Wilson Drive in the last 2 years. Not even one.
So now we have another piece of data to add to this discussion. Is narrowing Wilson Drive a good idea? Maybe, maybe not. But let’s not do it to increase pedestrian or driver safety. The statistics above show that, despite negative perceptions, Wilson Drive is very safe the way it is.
