Shorewood Holds Off on No-Right-on-Red Signs Near Schools for Broader Safety Plan
Updated Sept. 22, 2026: Shorewood will hold off on advancing a stand-alone proposal for additional no-right-turn-on-red restrictions near schools while officials prepare a broader Neighborhood Greenways plan expected to become public in October.
The Public Works Committee discussed the proposed signs Sept. 21 but ultimately agreed that the intersections should be considered as part of a larger conversation about student safety, traffic behavior, crossing guards and street design. A draft of the broader plan was described during the meeting as expected around Oct. 7.
The decision does not mean Shorewood is abandoning the school-route concerns. Instead, committee members indicated that installing more signs as a one-off response might not solve the larger problem—especially when drivers routinely disregard restrictions already in place.
No new turn restrictions were adopted Sept. 21. Drivers should continue following the signs currently posted at each intersection.
The Outcome at a Glance
Original proposal: Expand and standardize no-right-turn-on-red restrictions at traffic signals near Shorewood schools.
Estimated cost: $1,532.25 for 27 signs, including two spares.
Committee decision: Wait for the broader Neighborhood Greenways plan instead of advancing the sign proposal on its own.
Expected next step: A draft was described as expected around Oct. 7, followed by a larger public discussion.
Current status: No new restrictions have been adopted or installed.
Families can review the Sept. 21 Village meeting packet and watch the official recording of the meeting. For other dates affecting local students, bookmark the Shorewood School District 2026–2027 calendar.
Map: Shorewood’s Proposed School-Route Turn Restrictions
Explore the eight physical intersections named in the draft ordinance. Maryland Avenue and Downer Avenue meet Capitol Drive at the same signal, so they share one marker.
Proposal status: These ordinance changes have not yet been adopted. Drivers should follow the signs currently posted at each intersection.
What Shorewood Had Been Considering
The idea began as a 2026 Village initiative called “Safer Walk to School Stop Signs for 2026–27 School Year.” It proposed a no-right-turn-on-red policy at intersections adjacent to schools.
The Public Works Committee first discussed the initiative in July and referred it to Shorewood’s Parks and Public Spaces Pedestrian and Bicycle Subcommittee for additional review. On Sept. 8, that group supported restricting turns on red and recommended removing “when pedestrians are present” language from several existing rules.
Supporters argued that conditional signs can create ambiguity about whether a driver must wait. A consistent restriction would make the rule simpler: at the designated approaches, drivers would wait for a green light before turning.
The draft ordinance included specific approaches along Maryland Avenue, Downer Avenue, Edgewood Avenue, Capitol Drive, Oakland Avenue, Murray Avenue, Morris Boulevard and Menlo Boulevard. It also included East Shorewood Boulevard at North Oakland Avenue and East Lake Bluff Boulevard at North Oakland Avenue.
The proposal would not necessarily have prohibited every right turn at every approach. Several restrictions were direction-specific, making the final ordinance language and placement of the signs especially important.
Why the Committee Chose a Bigger Discussion
The Sept. 21 discussion revealed broad agreement that children face real risks while walking and biking to school. The question was whether another collection of signs would meaningfully change driver behavior.
One trustee described a 14-year-old who walks to school and has learned to count the timing of traffic signals because of fear at the crossings. The student reportedly said that he and his friends have all experienced incidents at Morris Boulevard and Capitol Drive.
The trustee also described seeing drivers turn from Capitol despite an existing restriction and being honked at or sworn at while waiting for a green light at other intersections.
Although the proposed signs would cost only about $1,500, the trustee questioned whether they would “move the dial” on safety or merely create the appearance of action without changing the behavior of reckless drivers.
Another trustee was more open to targeted restrictions at locations with clearly documented problems but questioned whether the same approach should be applied uniformly across every intersection in the proposal. East Shorewood Boulevard and North Oakland Avenue was cited as one location where nearby residents have previously raised concerns about vehicles blocking access to condominium driveways.
Near the end of the discussion, committee members agreed that the intersections would be better evaluated within Shorewood’s broader Neighborhood Greenways work. Officials said a draft was expected around Oct. 7 and supported waiting until it becomes publicly available before deciding how to proceed.
A Crossing Guard Says Signs Alone Are Not the Solution
A Shorewood crossing guard who has worked at several school-route intersections since February reinforced the committee’s concern about compliance.
At Morris Boulevard and Capitol Drive, she said motorists turn even when the no-turn-on-red sign is visible and a crossing guard is standing in front of them.
She also described heavy school drop-off congestion at Lake Bluff Boulevard and Newhall Street, where vehicles and pedestrians compete for limited space as younger students arrive. At Maryland Avenue and Capitol Drive, the current rule prohibits turns on red when pedestrians are present, but she questioned whether a full-time restriction would change the behavior of drivers who already ignore posted signs.
The crossing guard suggested that a visible police presence near school intersections might help slow traffic and reinforce the restrictions. She also emphasized that Shorewood’s identity as a walking community makes protecting students especially important.
What Is a Neighborhood Greenway?
Neighborhood greenways generally use lower-volume residential streets to create calmer, more comfortable routes for walking and biking. Depending on the location, improvements can include traffic-calming features, safer crossings, signs, pavement markings and changes intended to discourage fast or cut-through vehicle traffic.
Shorewood’s forthcoming draft will determine which strategies are actually proposed locally. The significance of the committee’s decision is that the school intersections will now be considered alongside a network of routes and possible safety improvements rather than as an isolated sign project.
That broader review could allow the Village to examine how traffic moves between homes and schools, where students cross major streets, how school drop-off patterns affect surrounding blocks and which combination of enforcement, design and traffic rules would be most effective.
Map: Intersections Included in the Sign Proposal
The existing interactive map identifies the eight physical intersections named in the draft ordinance. Maryland Avenue and Downer Avenue meet Capitol Drive at the same signal, so they share one marker.
These locations remain relevant because they can now inform the larger Neighborhood Greenways and school-route discussion. However, the proposed ordinance changes have not been adopted. Drivers should follow the signs currently posted at each intersection.
Why Right Turns on Red Can Create a Conflict
Wisconsin law generally permits a right turn on red after a driver stops and yields, unless a sign prohibits the turn.
The maneuver can become complicated at a busy crosswalk because a driver looking left for an opening in traffic may not immediately see a pedestrian or cyclist entering from the right.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises drivers to slow down and prepare to stop when turning through a crosswalk, with additional caution in school zones and neighborhoods where children are present.
A 2024 Mineta Transportation Institute study concluded that right-turn-on-red movements create safety concerns for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers while producing only limited emissions benefits in certain circumstances.
The researchers also noted that right-turn-on-red crashes represent a relatively small portion of all collisions at signalized intersections and recommended context-sensitive decisions. That supports examining Shorewood’s individual intersections as part of a broader street-safety plan rather than automatically applying one rule everywhere.
What Shorewood’s Local Data Shows—and Does Not Show
Shorewood does not have a clear count of crashes caused specifically by right turns on red. According to the staff report, Wisconsin’s accident-reporting system does not provide practical filters for isolating those incidents.
From 2020 through the preparation of the report, Shorewood recorded 16 signal violations among 769 non-speeding violations. Police also issued 452 citations for failing to obey a sign or signal, but that broader category does not show how many involved right turns on red.
The school-route concerns are therefore supported more strongly by the experiences of students, parents, crossing guards and village officials than by a documented local spike in right-turn-on-red crashes.
Questions for the October Greenways Discussion
The broader planning process gives Shorewood an opportunity to address questions that signs alone could not answer:
Which school-route intersections present the greatest risks?
Would targeted restrictions work better than a uniform policy?
Where would traffic-calming or intersection-design changes provide greater protection?
Could targeted police enforcement during arrival and dismissal improve compliance?
Are additional crossing guards needed at the most difficult locations?
How do school drop-off patterns contribute to backups and unsafe movements?
Could restrictions at one intersection push traffic onto another residential street?
How should families and the Shorewood School District participate in evaluating the routes?
The forthcoming Neighborhood Greenways draft should provide more context for those decisions and give residents a clearer opportunity to respond to the larger strategy.
What Happens Next
The stand-alone no-right-turn-on-red proposal is on hold while Shorewood completes the broader plan. During the meeting, officials described the draft as expected around Oct. 7 and agreed that waiting for its public release made more sense than advancing the signs separately.
Residents can monitor Shorewood’s Agendas and Minutes Center for the Neighborhood Greenways draft, future committee discussions and opportunities for public input.
Until the Village takes additional action, no new turn restrictions are in effect.
The Bottom Line
Shorewood did not reject the concerns that prompted the sign proposal. Trustees and a crossing guard described repeated instances of drivers ignoring existing restrictions and creating stressful conditions for children walking to school.
But the committee concluded that installing more signs by themselves would not resolve those broader problems. Instead, the affected intersections will become part of a larger Neighborhood Greenways discussion expected to begin publicly in October.
That approach delays an immediate ordinance change, but it could lead to a more comprehensive plan combining traffic rules, street design, enforcement and safer walking and biking routes.
North Shore Family Adventures will continue following the Neighborhood Greenways proposal when the draft is released. Explore more local news, school information and family activities in our Shorewood family guide.
Learn how Shorewood’s proposed neighborhood greenways and traffic-calming program could create safer routes for families walking, biking and rolling.