MILWAUKEE — The City of Milwaukee is considering a proposal that would turn public streets into interim public plazas.
"We can transition our streets, which are public spaces, into places where people can gather," said Kate Riordan, senior transportation director in the City of Milwaukee.
Using barricades, planters, and other tools, the idea is to turn some parts of underutilized streets, like right turn lanes, into interim plazas to cut down on vehicle traffic. The proposed program is similar to the city's Active Streets Program that launched during the pandemic, allowing businesses to expand their footprint into the public right of way.
"The key difference here is that this is public space. It's open to everyone. They do not have to be patronizing a business," said Riordan.
The idea came from Mayor Cavalier Johnson's "Gathering Place Feasibility Study."
The proposal has passed Common Council committees and is set to be voted on by the full Common Council on March 21.
Riordan said this program would not only offer more space for neighbors to hang out but could also help cut down on dangerous driving.
"It also starts to just start to shift our mindsets around what streets can be used for. Once we start creating these gathering spaces in streets, people start to see streets as a place for people and not just a place to speed through," she said.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
