Drivers: Take Your Time or Take Another Route

If you’re driving on Janesville Road in Muskego Friday night, July 1^st, be prepared to slow down for the Jammin’ on Janesville event.  Organizers say growing participation means pedestrian safety has become priority #1 during the 4-hour event from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday.

The affected area is on Janesville Road between College and Racine Avenues, said Denise Konkol, event coordinator for Muskego’s Chamber of Commerce.  She met with police and department of transportation officials, and from their recommendations, encouraged drivers and pedestrians to:

Watch for the Orange Cones:  Hazard cones will be placed in patterns at different points on Janesville Road to create more safe walking room for pedestrians, Konkol said. The practice, called “traffic calming,” is described by Wikipedia.org as leading to “more attentive driving, reduced speeds, reduced crashes, and a greater tendency to yield to pedestrians.”

Take note of extra signage:  The Waukesha County DOT is hoping to secure digital signs to be placed to the east of Bay Lane Drive and the West of Racine Avenue to remind drivers of heavy pedestrian traffic.

Park and Walk/Ride:  Visitors can park their cars at many available lots along the route, and choose to get a free ride one of nine shuttle stops to get to their destination(s), Konkol said.  Two trolleys and 1-2 black vans, clearly marked as 'courtesy shuttles', will take guests to any destination on the event route, she said. All stops are on side roads right next to Janesville Road or in parking lots just off Janesville Road.

Exercise common sense:  Pedestrians are reminded to also watch for vehicles, especially in areas that are not regular crosswalks. 

Visitors can board shuttles at these locations: Piggly Wiggly on Racine Avenue, Bethel Lutheran Church (4 blocks east of Racine Avenue), Pioneer Drive, Lannon Drive at the old BP gas station site, Pick n’ Save on the east side of lot, the Chamber of Commerce/O’Reilly Auto Parts on Parkland, the Muskego Library lot near the ampitheatre, Kohl’s Department Store on Moorland Road, and Lincoln Point Shopping Center just west of College Avenue. 

Shuttles on the south side of Janesville Road travel east towards Hales Corners; shuttles on the north side of Janesville Road travel west towards Big Bend.  

While the initial thought might be to close the road, organizers say that would create more problems than it might solve.

"The idea behind 'Jammin' is to encourage traffic to the downtown area when road construction starts.  It would be ironic to then close the very stretch of road we're telling people will be accessible," said Konkol.  "In addition, police officials have indicated this would create a higher demand for personnel, and re-trafficking through residential neighborhoods, neither of which are desirable."

For more details on the event, which promotes local businesses prior to major road construction in 2012, visit the Muskego Chamber of Commerce Jammin’ on Janesville web page.