lines on STH 97 to make it the same as STH 153

lines on STH 97 to make it the same as STH 153.

“It’s just one lane. That’s all it was ever intended to be,” he said. “It seems like that white line caused some confusion.”

When reached for comment on Monday, village president Keith Grell said when he heard that the DOT was thinking about getting rid of the white lines, he contacted the agency on Friday with some follow-up questions and is now waiting for responses.

“To be honest, I don’t know if that would solve the situation,” he said.

Right now, STH 97 in Stratford has one wide lane going in each direction with white lines indicating where the shoulders are. If the lines are removed, Krell said it’s still going to be one lane with enough space for drivers to move to the outside edge before turning.

“So my question to the DOT is ‘Do you really think this is going to resolve the issue?’ You’re still going to have cars lining up side by side to make a right turn,” he said.

Grell said the village has previously worked with Kenmitz on a speed study, which resulted in speed limits being lowered, and a study of vehicles turning right off of STH 153 and onto STH 97 during peak traffic hours.

“At that particular time, they said they didn’t see any issue on 153 where they needed a right turn lane,” he said.

Stratford police chief Tom Koontz confirmed that STH 153 is currently treated differently than STH 97 because it does not have the white shoulder lines.

“It’s one wide lane, so you would do as the law states and get as close to the curb as possible when making a right turn,” he said. “But that’s just when making a right turn. That’s not to bypass other drivers trying to make a left turn or stopped at the light.”

“There’s only one car allowed per lane, and if there’s two cars in the lane – one stopped and one turning – then you have an issue,” he added.

The question of what is legal when taking right turns from STH 97 onto STH 153 came before the village board last month when driver’s ed instructor Travis Hauke challenged Chief Koontz’s interpretation of state traffic laws.

Koontz has noted that it is illegal for drivers to use the shoulder to approach and make a right turn, so his officers have been pulling people over and warning them if they do that. Hauke, however, cited a state statute indicating that right turns “shall be made as closely as practicable to the right-hand edge or curb of the road,” which to him means they should use the area between the white line and the curb.

Hauke said he is required to teach his students according to the statute he cited, but Koontz said he will ticket people who illegally maneuver through an area that is not wide enough to be its own lane.

After hearing from both sides, Grell said he would seek clarification from the DOT. On Monday, he said one of his questions for the DOT was whether the village board needs to pass a resolution before the white lines are removed, just as did when the speed limits were changed.

“So, it’s still up in the air,” he said. “Let’s just put it that way.”