Racine · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Racine public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Lathrop Avenue street project contract amendment
Amendment 1 to Contract 2025259 for the Lathrop Avenue project was up for committee action. Because the meeting was cancelled, the project amendment remains pending.
Alley considered for 2027 construction
Alders Kelly and Pabon want to revisit the city's alley paving and patching ordinance; the topic was referred to Public Works and Services.
Washington Avenue corridor traffic study
A request for a traffic study and traffic-calming options on Washington Avenue from Lathrop through Uptown was received and filed, while one commenter urged a moratorium on traffic changes, citing the Weston-Taylor roundabout as a cautionary tale.
School crossing improvements near Racine Christian School
Alder DeMark asked the Department of Public Works to paint crossing lines near Racine Christian School at Kinzie and Virginia Street — a small but direct pedestrian safety fix. It went to the Public Works Committee.
State Street and Main Street bridges over Root River — contract amendment
The committee endorsed signing Amendment 1 to the three-party contract for the State Street and Main Street bridge work over the Root River, with costs covered by the Capital Improvement Plan.
Passenger rail (MKE Rail Commission)
Racine joined Kenosha, Cudahy(?), and Milwaukee in a rail commission to compete for federal infrastructure dollars for a passenger line connecting downtown Racine to the airport, Kenosha, and Chicago. If built, it could spark over a billion dollars in investment.
Winter road salt supply
The city will buy about 7,000 tons of road salt from Cargill at $98.72 per ton delivered to keep streets clear next winter.
Rupert Boulevard winter sidewalk closure
The school district will close the south sidewalk of Rupert Boulevard near the cemetery from December through April, taking on snow responsibility and liability for that stretch.
Chicago Street & Golf Avenue local roads improvement
A $600,000 road improvement project on Chicago Street and Golf Avenue is moving forward through a state-municipal agreement. The state covers $150,000 and the city's $450,000 share is already in the capital budget.
Sidewalk Replacement Program
Bid results for the 2026 sidewalk replacement program came in with Beardsley Concrete as the low bidder at about $337,900.
Alley improvement funding mechanisms
Alders Kelly and Pabon want to revisit the city's alley paving and patching ordinance; the topic was referred to Public Works and Services.
Pedestrian crossing beacon at DeKoven and Taylor
A pedestrian crossing beacon will be installed at DeKoven Street and Taylor Avenue using already-budgeted DPW funds, addressing a crossing safety gap in Alder Turquoise-Davis's district.
Goold Street reconstruction closeout and street paving resolutions
The Goold Street project wrapped up with a small change order and final payment, and the council set final paving resolutions for a list of assessable streets and alleys — costs billed to abutting property owners.
2026 Street Resurfacing and Speed Humps
The council advanced roughly $2.5 million in resurfacing and street contracts and approved permanent speed humps on Michigan Boulevard during this year's paving.
Snow and ice removal improvements
After a long committee discussion of the snow and ice removal manual — including the November 11-12 inch snowstorm — Alder Jorgensen plans to meet with DPW and do a ride-along to find plowing and alternate-side parking improvements.