Stratford seeks clarification from state on 97/153 turning rules

Stratford officials are seeking clarification from the Department of Transportation after a local driver’s ed instructor challenged the police chief’s interpretation of the right-hand turning rules at the intersection of state highways 97 and 153.

A month after police chief Thomas Koontz told the village board that it’s illegal for drivers to use the STH 97 shoulder as a turning lane, driver’s ed instructor Travis Hauke showed trustees a state law stating that righthand turns “shall be made as closely as practicable to the right-hand edge or curb of the road.” This also applies to approaching a right-hand turn, according to 346.31(2).

“So, that is what we teach,” Hauke told trustees at their July 8 monthly meeting.

Chief Koontz, however, says that driver’s ed students are being taught incorrectly and that using the shoulder to turn right is an illegal maneuver. Local police have started pulling people over at the 153/97 intersection and issuing them warnings if they turn right onto STH 153 using the area between the white shoulder line and the curb.

“I have discussed this ad nauseam with the DOT,” Koontz said. “It’s not wide enough to be considered a lane.”

Hauke, however, also cited statutes regarding bicycles, which are allowed to travel in the same lanes of travel as motor vehicles. Bicycle riders are also instructed to turn as “close as practicable to the right-hand curb,” he said, which to him indicates that the right edge of STH 97 is a “reserve lane” for bikes.

According to the Wisconsin Motorist Handbook, drivers who encounter a bicycle within a half-block of where they plan to turn need to pull behind the bicycle and wait for it to clear the area before proceeding with their turn. Hauke said doing anything different would create a safety hazard.

“So, why do we position over? So we don’t kill someone,” he said.

Hauke said he understands that the area between the white line and the curb is not technically a turn lane, but without any signs at the intersection saying that motorists cannot enter that area, he said people are going to continue pulling as far over to the right as possible before turning – as they have done for decades.

“The biggest thing is safety here,” he said. “Like the DMV examiners I’ve talked to said, you have to take control of the lane. You can’t let anything get between your car and the curb.”

“Well, the bottom line is this: if people do the right turn like that at 97, I will ticket them,” Koontz responded. “That is the bottom line.”

Hauke suggested putting up signs like the ones on Sixth Street in Wausau, which say “no operating in curb lane.” This would indicate to drivers that they are supposed to ignore the normal rule of getting as close to the curb as possible before turning, he said.

Koontz, however, said the solid white line and the lack of a turn arrow on the pavement should indicate to drivers that they are not allowed to use that area for approaching the intersection and turning. In talking with members of the State Patrol, Koontz believes that painting diagonal stripes in the shoulder, 100 feet to the north and south of the intersection, would be the best way to keep drivers from entering the shoulder in order to turn.

Trustee Todd Welter admitted to using the shoulder to turn right onto STH 153 for decades – as did other board members – and said the village should really get a definitive statement from the DOT, and maybe ask for signs and additional lines to be painted.

“It’s confusing in the community,” he said. ‘“I don’t want to see people getting hit.”

Chief Koontz acknowledged that a lot of the confusion comes from how the two state highways are laid out.

“It’s just a poorly engineered intersection is what it comes down to,” he said.

Village president Keith Grell said he will work with Koontz and Hauke and reach out to DOT for clarification and perhaps bring the issue back to the Public Safety Committee or the board for further discussion.

Trustee Damon Engelbretson said all the village can really do is raise the issue with the state and have the DOT make the decisions.

“They’re not going to let us paint it,” he said. “It’s their highway. They’re going to make their changes. We can just ask them to look at it.”

Other business

■ The board approved revisions to the village’s hunting ordinance, as proposed by trustee Englebretson, which will allow archery, rifle and other firearms to be used in certain zones and outside designated setbacks. Trustees also voted to hire MSA Professional Services to update the village’s hunting zone map to match the changes in the ordinance.

“I think once we get that map in place, I don’t foresee it changing a year from now – or two or five,” Engelbretson said.

■ The board approved a permit to temporarily close the sidewalk and place a dumpster on the street in front of 118807 Market St., which will allow the owner of the building to demolish part of the structure in order to add more off-street parking. The temporary closure is contingent on DPW Scott Dennee issuing a demolition permit to the owner, who hopes to get the work done within the span of a weekend.

■ The board authorized Dennee to put the village’s 2013 Chevrolet Silverado up for auction on the Wisconsin Surplus website.