'It's Really Hard': Cars Using Greendale Neighborhood As Shortcut

GREENDALE, WI — Speeding traffic that uses Sycamore Street as a shortcut has a Greendale mother of two concerned over the safety of the children in her neighborhood.

Jacqueline Lambert says drivers are using her residential street as a shortcut between W. College Ave. and S. 51st Street, often going about 35 miles per hour — much too fast for a neighborhood with elementary and middle school-aged children.

"People try to avoid that four-way stop at 51st and College," Lambert told Patch. "If you're coming off College in the opposite direction, there's a downhill there. You can hit 30 miles per hour without accelerating. It's really hard."

Lambert said she's always supervising her 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter outside, but that "everyone in the neighborhood works together to keep our kids on the sidewalks."

There are several crosswalks that children use to cross Sycamore Street or to get to either Sumac Lane or Spruce Court, and the prevalence of speeding cars makes those crosswalks riskier for children, she said.

And with the COVID-19 pandemic keeping more families with children at home, more children are making use of the neighborhood during their free time.

"There are times when everyone's out on their bikes or on the block," she said.

Lambert said she's made a call to Greendale police to find out what can be done to slow traffic down in her neighborhood, and she's also thinking of checking with her Alderperson to explore solutions.