MILWAUKEE — A north-side community organization says the answer to ending reckless driving comes down to street design. The group North Side Rising is advocating for street calming measures for Milwaukee roads.
It believes money for the redesign could be on the way. On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Common Council passed the Climate and Equity Plan. It allows for the city to go after federal funds for a variety of issues including redesigning streets.
Every day, Valerie Ricks is either knocking on doors or on the phone talking to community members. North Side Rising is part of Citizen Action of Wisconsin, an advocacy group that focuses on economic, racial, and environmental justice. Two years ago, Valerie started asking people on the north side a simple question.
"What needs to be fixed in your community? Hands down, reckless driving,” said Valerie. "Not just death, not just the injury. The property damage, the medical bills. The sense of anxiety and fear being on the street."
It is why North Side Rising is advocating for all the streets in Milwaukee to implement street calming measures. What they consider ‘Complete Streets’, where there is a safe area for walkers, bikers, car lanes, and bus lanes. They believe the answer to slowing static will come from redesigning the streets, not adding police officers.
"We're hoping that as they redesign these streets it will pull police away from chasing down a reckless driver. And then police can deal with something the rest of us have trouble with,” said Valerie.
North Side Rising takes the feedback it gets from the community and brings it to city leaders to advocate for change. Ultimately, North Side Rising believes building a safer street leads to a better Milwaukee.
"Bringing the community out into the street, that is how you start building community again,” said Valerie.
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