MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works says a record number of Milwaukee residents have requested to get speed humps installed on their blocks.
Over the past 15 years, Milwaukee has installed about a thousand speed humps in neighborhood side streets across the city. The Department of Public Works (D.P.W.) says more than a quarter of them have been put in this year due to a surge in requests from residents taking advantage of a reduced price.
Latanya Jackson says the street where she lives used to be treated like a race track.
"They have used this block just to see how good their engine's running on the car,” she said.
That’s no longer the case on Jackson’s block on N. 30th St. after neighbors requested the city install an obstacle to force drivers to slow down.
Jackson says she can’t believe how much of a difference just one speed hump has made.
"If that's the length that they have to go through just to make sure one block is safe, I think that's a good thing,” she said.
Speed humps aren’t ideal for everyone.
"You can't see a lot of them at nighttime,” Kiuta Perry said.
Perry thinks they’re a nuisance.
"You can tear your car up with those things too,” he said.
Milwaukee leaders launched what’s called the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program 15 years ago. Mike Amsden with the D.P.W. says it allows residents to request traffic calming measures on their block.
"We will mail that resident a petition and then it's on them to then garner at least 50 percent of residents on that block to sign off on that petition,” he said.
If a majority of residents on the block offer support, Amsden says a public works crew comes out to assess where the speed humps should go and the estimated cost.
This year, a staggering 272 speed humps will be installed in Milwaukee neighborhoods by the end of the year. A map of the locations shows a majority are going on the city’s north side. That’s far more than the previous record when 116 speed humps were installed in 2021.
"I think people have been home a lot over the last couple of years, they see people speeding on their block and they immediately request a speed hump,” Amsden said.
Amsden believes the biggest reason more humps are being requested is because of the cheaper price this year.
Covid relief funds have been used to reduce the cost for each homeowner on the block from roughly $300 to about $100.
“What’s being done from an equity standpoint in neighborhoods where residents may not have the time and money to do this?” TMJ4 asked. "That's one of the concerns we hear from folks who don't like the assessment process - is that equity angle,” Amsden replied.
Alderman Robert Bauman authored the ordinance.
"In a perfect world, we have them on every side street in the city," he said.
“Are you going to push for that Covid relief subsidy to continue into 2023?” TMJ4 asked. "Absolutely. That would be my goal,” Ald. Bauman responded.
Ald. Bauman says residents can pay for their portion of the speed hump up front or have the bill spread out through ten years and have it tacked onto their property taxes. Jackson feels it’s money well spent.
"Sometimes safety don't have a price on it,” she said.
Click here to learn more about Milwaukee's Neighborhood Traffic Management Program.
