Milwaukee officials have unveiled roughly 50 more street projects this year to try to slow reckless driving.
Milwaukee's attempt to reduce traffic deaths and injuries and join the Vision Zero effort gaining momentum in U.S. cities has already prompted driving lanes to be narrowed on some streets. Some roadways have extended curbs and raised crosswalks to remind drivers about pedestrians, and planters, cones and other barriers are used to create protected bike lanes at the side of the street.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson vows to do more.
"Reckless drivers, they infuriate me. I know they infuriate members of our Department of Public Works. I know they infuriate members of the Common Council," Johnson says,
So, two Council members and City Engineer Kevin Muhs joined Johnson at a news briefing at 38th and Highland Tuesday to show off a traffic calming effort completed last fall along a couple blocks of Highland. More work is slated for this year east of 35th Street on Highland, and Muhs says almost 50 other projects are also scheduled. About $87 million in federal, state and local money will be spent.
Muhs says projects were chosen according to criteria spelled out in a document called the Complete Streets Handbook.
"We look at crash data. We look at our high injury network and prioritize projects there. We look at socio-economic factors of the neighborhood nearby and prioritize projects in areas of higher need. Of course, if we're doing a full reconstruction, the life of the roadway matters, too. So, we consider that as well," Muhs says.
Muhs says the Department of Public Works continues to evaluate how well existing traffic calming works. But Milwaukee Alderman Bob Baumann says he's already convinced that a lane-narrowing project on 27th Street north of Wisconsin Avenue is successful.
"We literally had situations where people drove on the sidewalk on 27th. Those planters have stopped the right hand passing. Those planters have slowed traffic almost to the point of inducing congestion," Baumann says.
Baumann says that may delay drivers, but "Nobody's gonna get killed. Nobody's gonna get t-boned."
With more projects soon to be underway, we headed over to another busy street to talk to people safely on the sidewalk. Outside the Vliet Street Post Office, a man who gave his name as Keith says he's been the victim of a reckless driver.
"I looked in the rear view mirror and the kid was going like 50 miles per hour in a 30 mile zone. He broadsided me, and caused me to have an accident," Keith says.
Keith says the city needs to have more police officers enforcing traffic laws.
Another man, who gave his name as James, also wants more traffic officers."Where is the control force-feeding, I guess I am asking, and I don't expect a piece of concrete to do that."
Mayor Johnson says more policing is part of the Safer Streets plan. Another citizen who gave her name as the initial R. says concrete, as in extended curbs, does help.
"Yes, in some places, they are needed because they stop people from going around people to turn. You know what I'm saying? They might make a left turn in front of somebody. Everybody's just in a hurry these days," Johnson says.
Milwaukee Alderman Michael Murphy says he supports the city's efforts to calm traffic. But he's introduced a measure to create metrics to gauge the effectives of street engineering, law enforcement, prevention and education efforts.
"I think the worst thing in government is you can spend money on projects you think, or best intentions, but never really evaluate what you think they are doing. So, I feel strongly that — I want to know, and I think the public wants to know," Murphy says.
Murphy says the city's Public Safety Committee has OK'd his evaluation plan, and it goes before the full Milwaukee Common Council next week.
