By Dave Fidlin
CORRESPONDENT
Whitewater’s years-long pursuit of a dedicated grocer within the city limits has sparked a new talking point – traffic congestion and pedestrian-friendly accommodations in close proximity to the new retailer.
Aldi, 1380 W. Main St., officially opened its doors Sept. 19, in close proximity to the established Walmart Supercenter store at 1362 W. Main St.
The anticipated traffic draw between the two retailers was a topic of discussion at the Common Council’s most recent Public Works Committee meeting, which met Oct. 8.
Even before Aldi’s opening, traffic concerns had been raised, and the council ultimately placed the matter on the docket for further analysis and discussion, beginning with the review occurring within the Public Works Committee.
Public Works Director Brad Marquardt recommended holding off on any specific recommendations on traffic control measures until the spring, when a full analysis of Aldi’s true impact can be taken into account.
The committee briefly discussed with Marquardt the potential benefit of installing another crosswalk, alongside an existing one located near a Baymont hotel at 1355 W. Main St.
“At this point in time, I don’t think putting another public crosswalk in at a non-public intersection is the right thing to do,” Marquardt said.
Council member Neil Hicks, who sits on the committee, inquired about relocating the existing crosswalk and shifting it closer to Aldi to assist with some of the traffic-related concerns that have permeated in the area.
Greg Majkrzak, a fellow council member and committee member, agreed with Hicks’ suggestion and said it would be worthy of deeper analysis in the road ahead.
“I always felt it was hard to see,” Majkrzak said of the existing crosswalk. “Moving it down to a more open area – I like it. I think this is a nice compromise and am open to investigating it more.”
The committee gave Marquardt the direction to begin looking at cost estimates for relocating the crosswalk as a first step into looking at possible traffic controls in the area.
For his part, Hicks said he believed Aldi’s arrival to the commercial corridor would result in an uptick in traffic, based on the initial reception.
“I think you’re going to have a lot more traffic in that area, and a lot more quickly than I anticipated,” he said.
