HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.20.26 Newsletter
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TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council
FROM: Rebecca Grill, City Manager
DATE: March 20, 2026
RE: Weekly Newsletter
1. 2025 CRASH DATA REVIEWED BY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE: At the March
10th Transportation Committee meeting, Transportation Director Jim Collins presented a
review of crash data in the City of Oshkosh for 2025. The purpose of the annual review is to
spot citywide trends in order to focus attention on areas where targeted improvements
may reduce future crashes.
A visual overview of all 2025 crash data, as well as one depicting the top 10 crash locations,
were compiled on the City’s behalf by East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning
Commission (ECWRPC) using data from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
(WisDOT) crash statistics. Overall, total crashes in Oshkosh for 2025 were slightly lower
than the prior year, and fatalities were down. However, Committee members noted an
important concern: while crashes decreased slightly, overall injuries increased, which
highlights the need to continue monitoring crash severity and the factors contributing to
crashes, rather than focusing only on total crash numbers.
In addition to overall crash data, the Committee reviewed the top 10 crash locations, which
largely included high-volume intersections and roundabouts—an expected outcome given
traffic levels. However, Director Collins highlighted non-motorist (pedestrian/bicycle)
crashes at several locations as a key safety concern. These findings support current and
future pedestrian safety investments planned by the City, including rectangular rapid
flashing beacons (RRFBs) at select crossings, and continued discussion of a potential
pedestrian bridge over I-41 to improve safe crossing options.
The Committee also discussed patterns at several highway ramp locations where rear-end
crashes were common. Director Collins noted that these ramps are under WisDOT
jurisdiction, which limits the City’s ability to implement changes directly.
However, one outlier area that is within the City’s control—the intersection of Wisconsin
Street/US 44 and Algoma—was identified for closer review due to crash activity that
appears higher than expected for the traffic volume. Staff will continue to evaluate corridor
operations and signal timing, and is consulting with a traffic engineer for additional review
of the area.
In addition to the visual reports compiled by ECWRPC, Director Collins shared a
Wisconsin crash data dashboard that allows users to view and filter crash trends by
municipality and compare recent results to multi-year averages. While more information is
available to officials with a login to the WisDOT crash statistics page, members of the
public can review publicly available data through the Community Maps page, which is
maintained by the Traffic Operations and Safety (TOPS) Laboratory at the UW-Madison for
research purposes.
2. GET INVOLVED IN A BOARD OR COMMISSION: If you are interested in serving
your community, consider becoming a member of one of the City’s citizen advisory boards,
commissions, or committees. There are current openings on the following boards and
commissions:
BID Board
Board of Review
Board of Zoning Appeals
Landmarks Commission
Museum, Arts and Culture Board
Plan Commission
To learn more about the boards and commissions, or to complete an application to serve,
visit our boards and commissions webpage. If you have questions about current openings,
the process of appointment, or need more information about a particular board, please
contact the City Manager’s Executive Assistant, Kami Zuercher, by email
(kzuercher@oshkoshwi.gov) or call (920) 236-5002.