MILWAUKEE — For the past eight months, TMJ4 has put a major emphasis on highlighting solutions to the reckless driving problem in our community. One of which is engineering.
Traffic calming projects have transformed Milwaukee neighborhoods and several side streets, but a vast majority of the city’s busiest roads haven’t been touched.
Let’s go in-depth on why the Department of Public Works says that’s the case and one traffic calming solution that could become commonplace.
“41 miles per hour,” said Jordan Morales.
A speed radar gun shows Morales how fast drivers are going.
"Driving like a maniac,” he said.
But it doesn’t capture what’s arguably even more reckless: swerving all over Sherman Blvd.
"All kinds of lanes of traffic, I mean, it’s just typical,” Morales said.
Morales knows police can’t patrol every intersection or even every busy street at the same time.
"This is a street I drive up every day to get my kids from school,” he said. "Right now they're an absolute death trap.”
That’s why he believes re-engineering roads is the best reckless driving solution for Milwaukee.
“Are you satisfied with the current amount of traffic calming solutions on the main streets?” TMJ4 reporter Ben Jordan asked.
"Oh no, not at all,” Morales replied. “We definitely need way more."
City Engineer Kevin Muhs says the biggest barrier is the price tag and balancing wants versus needs with a $15 million annual paving budget.
"Obviously there's plenty of residents who want us to spend that on reducing the number of potholes and increasing the quality of their streets, and of course, there's many residents who want to see us spend that on traffic calming,” Muhs said.
Muhs says widening medians and narrowing or removing lanes like the ongoing Walnut Street project is the most effective solution, but it’s only cost-efficient when the roads are due to be replaced.
Meanwhile, speed humps aren’t built to sustain MCTS buses or semi trucks and large roundabouts can cost up to $2 million.
Muhs says the most replicable and financially realistic option for widespread implementation is pinned-on curb bump-outs.
"Obviously we think these will help,” he said.
The elevated concrete is being installed at intersections on about a mile stretch of the state trunk highway on the city’s north side.
The cost is still significant at $30,000 per intersection, but Muhs says it comes with the reward of reducing passing in the right parking lane and speeding that usually comes with it.
"Does it make much of a difference when you look at the entirety of Capitol Drive?” Jordan asked.
"I mean, you're right,” Muhs said. “Thank you for reminding me of the very tall order that we still have left to accomplish."
Muhs says this project will serve as a pilot. If the barriers work well, they will likely be scattered across many of Milwaukee’s busiest corridors in the years to come.
"We can do it quickly and efficiently,” he said. “We think that that's something that would be scale-able and effective."
While Morales understands major changes can’t happen overnight, he doesn’t think time is on our side.
“Our driving culture continues to rot,” he said. “We saw an increase in fatalities last year over the year prior and I would hate to see that trend continue. The only way I see it stopping is with engineering solutions."
Capitol Dr. and Fond du Lac Ave. are owned and operated by the state. TMJ4 wanted to ask the Wisconsin Department of Transportation why it hasn’t paid for any traffic calming solutions on those state trunk highways. WisDOT declined an interview. A representative said in an email it dedicated significant staff time to review the city’s changes.
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