Bay Shore Drive Speed Reduction Gains Traction

The Door County Highway and Facilities Committee voted unanimously to recommend the County Board of Supervisors approve a speed reduction to 35 mph for the entire length of Bay Shore Drive through Sevastopol and the Town of Egg Harbor.

Currently, the road has variable speed postings of 35 mph in some spots, 45 mph in others, and recommended speeds of 40 mph around certain curves.

It’s those up and down speeds that cause some of the speed issues, said Thad Ash, Door County Highway commissioner.

“They [motorists] get one, and don’t react to the other,” he said.

Committee members and Ash had received numerous letters from Bay Shore Drive residents requesting a speed reduction, causing the committee to authorize a speed study during their August meeting in the Egg Harbor stretch south of Frank E. Murphy County Park. Ash said the speed study showed some speeding, but not enough to exceed the 85th percentile that would usually warrant a change.

However, he said there were numerous underlying factors: the road is “highly residential throughout;” Murphy Park is a busy beach area; Horseshoe Bay Farms draws a lot of visitors; there are many hidden driveways; and there are many people walking, running, walking dogs and biking. In addition, numerous lawn maintenance vehicles obstruct the flow of traffic.

“I’ve driven the road probably four times in two weeks and I don’t know when I’ve not seen lawn vehicles parked on both sides of the road where they’re not supposed to be,” he said. “So the combination of [all] those factors, it probably is a good idea to lower the limit all the way through.”

He said he’s also recommending the county request stepped-up law enforcement on the road to enforce the speed limit.

“Let’s just make the change on the full stretch so it’s consistent and then ask the Sheriff’s department to have a presence in that area,” he said.

The committee’s support of the recommendation will come back in the form of a resolution at their October meeting and if that passes, it will be forwarded to the county board for consideration.