MILWAUKEE – Reckless driving remains an issue on streets throughout Milwaukee County. On Monday, county leaders made another push to combat the matter through redesigned roads.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, alongside state, municipal, and community partners, signed a resolution to adopt Milwaukee County’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, which outlines strategies to address safety on Milwaukee County’s 25 Corridors of Concern. Those corridors include most of the busiest roads within the countyl. It also, leaders say, could unlock new federal funding to support these strategies.
“Today is an important milestone in our commitment to enhance the safety of our roads. Collaboration and partnership are key to increasing multimodal safety and reducing reckless driving, and I want to thank all who have worked with us to support safer neighborhoods, enhance the quality of life for working families, and save lives in Milwaukee County,” said Crowley Monday.
Leaders say since 2014, fatal crashes have increased throughout Milwaukee County at a higher rate than a majority of the country. Overall, fatal and serious injury crashes increased 42% in 2020-2022 compared to 2010-2012.
The plan lays out 522 potential so-called “Safety Project Opportunities” in Milwaukee County. If implemented, the county says they could reduce fatal and serious injury crashes by 38% on average at the locations where they are implemented, and 18% in the County overall.
Potential projects include a wide range of strategies and treatments, such as road diets, slow zones, signal improvements, and intersection daylighting.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Dozens of traffic calming projects coming to Milwaukee in 2024
Of the possible projects on the docket, 142 locations are identified as “priority projects”.
“The leadership, collaboration and commitment of County Executive Crowley, the Board of Supervisors, and our municipal partners, got us here today” said Milwaukee County Department of Transportation Director Donna Brown-Martin. “I’m looking forward to working with our municipal partners in the months ahead as we develop plans at the local level. This work moves us closer to our goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2037.”
Adoption of the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan qualifies Milwaukee County and its 19 municipalities for eligibility to apply for federal grants to fund a selection of the highest priority projects. It also marks the completion of Phase Two of the Complete Communities Transportation Planning Project, MCDOT’s safety initiative to increase multimodal safety and address reckless driving across all Milwaukee County municipalities. The Plan will now go to the U.S. Department of Transportation for certification.
MCDOT will initiate Phase Three of the Complete Communities Transportation Planning Project later this week when work begins with each of the County’s 19 municipalities to create their own action plans.
