Council approves four-way stop at Brown and Rives intersection

Motorists will have to get used to a change to the flow of traffic in the heart of the city’s downtown business district.
On Oct. 27 the Rhinelander Common Council voted unanimously to install a four-way stop at the intersection of Brown and Rives streets, citing safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists in the downtown area.
The decision comes after a listening session held earlier this year regarding downtown traffic patterns, where residents raised concerns about safety at key intersections.
Alderman Steven Jopek spoke in favor of the change, noting visibility issues at the Brown and Rives intersection.
“I frequent the Brown Street and Rives intersection, and that’s one that, I guess I would advocate that we do need to do something like a four-way stop,” Jopek said. “The way the parking is established, it is really hard to see coming out of that intersection, if you’re on Rives trying to cross Brown or turning into traffic.”

Jopek added that drivers often have to edge into the intersection to check for oncoming traffic, creating potentially dangerous situations.
“I think of those two, if we had one, I think Brown and Rives would be really important, so that people feel safer there,” he said.
The council considered adding a four-way stop at a second intersection—Brown and Frederick streets—but decided to hold off on that location. City Council President Carrie Mikalauski expressed concerns about implementing too much change at once and noted potential winter driving challenges on Frederick Street’s hill.
“I think going forward with the four-way stop at Rives and Brown would be good,” Mikalauski said. “And I think if we held off on the Frederick Street, one, for two reasons. One, I think too much change. The public really balks at that. And then secondly, that is a hill, and it’s a little easier to see in that intersection because you’re on the hill.”
Mayor Kris Hanus explained that city officials plan to install the new stop signs before winter so that local residents will be familiar with the change before the influx of summer visitors.
“Part of the reason why we’re bringing it back now is if we do put them up, we could train the locals of the new stop sign going into winter,” Hanus said. “That way as we go into summer, it’s only training the people visiting, so to speak, versus doing it all in the spring and then having everyone try to learn this.”
The installation will include painted stop bars on the pavement and temporary signage to alert drivers of the new traffic pattern.
The project is funded through the same Tax Increment Financing (TIF) money as other road utility projects, with a spending deadline of September 2026.
The council may revisit adding a four-way stop at Brown and Frederick in the spring after observing how the Rives intersection performs through winter.