MILWAUKEE — A group of neighbors in Sherman Park are working together to combat reckless driving with an Active Streets Grant.
"It just doesn't feel safe when cars are flying through here, hitting a speed bump, and then boom they're hitting cars," said Veronica Nolden. She moved to Grant Boulevard six months ago.
She said as a mom of two children, she worries about the reckless driving she has noticed in her new community.
"I think for everyone in Sherman Park, we all have a story about reckless driving," said Emma Berg, who also lives on Grant Blvd.
When Berg heard about the Active Streets Grants being offered by the City of Milwaukee, she and her neighbors applied with the help of the Sherman Park Community Association.
"It's really close to home and it's hard to know when traffic-calming infrastructure will come to us, so it felt like if we can take matters into our own hands at all and apply for this might as well give it a go," said Berg.
The grant allocated up to about $10,000 to a community organization to be used on events and traffic-calming measures.
Berg said in the first year, the city does a lot of listening to feedback and helps to implement temporary calming measures. In the second year of the two-year process, more intense and permanent traffic calming measures are to be implemented.
"I don't know if it will work but it felt like why not try," said Berg.
The traffic-calming measures that are already installed have not impressed the neighbors TMJ4 spoke with on Grant Blvd.
"It's kind of small," said Nolden. "I wish it could be bigger but at the same time it's a start and I'm really grateful for that."
Ray Anthony Fikes has lived on Grant Blvd for nearly 30 years.
"Unfortunately, the little cones that they have or the signage, I don't particularly believe is enough to suffice the activities that the drivers are actually displaying," Fikes said.
He said if it was up to him, he'd have the city block off Grant Blvd to through traffic as a way to protect pedestrians.
"It's treacherous for those who are walking," he said.
Neighbors have an abundance of ideas to help combat reckless driving in Sherman Park. They say the grant is proof that the city cares.
"The fact that we're getting this grant, or received this grant is just an eye-opener," said Nolden. "They're listening to us. They're hearing us."
Berg agrees.
"Even if reckless driving doesn't decrease like crazy this summer, getting together and getting to know my neighbors has been a huge win," said Berg.
There is a Facebook group set up for neighbors who are interested in being a part of the conversation surrounding Active Streets Grants. You can visit that page, by clicking HERE.
There are three Active Streets in the City of Milwaukee right now. The other two are on North 26th Street and West Pierce Street.
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