WAUWATOSA, Wis. — Wauwatosa residents made their voices heard.
"Wauwatosa has a big problem with the conditions of our roads. A big problem," said Cheryl Hokenson.
Detailing the frustrations they've witnessed with reckless driving on city roads.
"60th is scary. Really scary. I would never ride my bike on 60th," said one resident.
"76th Street is bad. I regularly ride from Milwaukee Avenue to Brown Deer and it's amazing that I don't see a death when I go that route," said another.
It is stop nine of 19 counties the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation is making, hosting open table discussions with the community. It's an attempt to address the root causes of reckless driving and make the necessary changes needed to keep people safe.
"If you don't have enough enforcement to handle the current laws, people are going to drive whichever they want to," said a meeting attendee.
"Milwaukee's problems are Wauwatosa's problems are West Allis' problems. It's happening regionally. So we need to be working in collaboration with each other," said Wauwatosa Police Chief, James MacGillis.
According to Wauwatosa officials, over the last five years, nearly 200 severe crashes have taken place throughout the city. At least 65% of them were either pedestrian or bike related.
Surveillance video captured a near miss that just happened two months ago. A crossing guard saved the life of a young girl who was simply walking to school.
"There's not enough protection between those reckless drivers and the vulnerable users that are bicycles or pedestrians," said another resident.
"For the engineering solutions piece, do you look at how you slow drivers down prior to approaching the intersection so they had to adapt their behavior before they get too close to the crosswalk in the first place," asked another.
And it is questions like those that DOT officials hope to have an answer to very soon.
Here is a list of all the upcoming stops for the roadshow:
Milwaukee Co. Safe Streets Roadshow
- 7/19/23 - Hales Corners – 6 p.m. – Open Flame Restaurant, 5081 S. 108th St.
- 7/22/23 - West Allis – 10 a.m. – West Allis Public Library, 7421 W. National Ave.
- 8/03/23 - St. Francis – 2 p.m. – St. Francis Civic Center, 3400 E. Howard Ave.
- 08/03/23 South Milwaukee – 5 p.m. – South Milwaukee Municipal Building, 2424 15th Ave.
- 8/09/23- Oak Creek – 2 p.m. – Oak Creek Public Library, 8040 S. 6th St.
- 8/10/23 Whitefish Bay – 2 p.m. – Whitefish Bay Public Library Meeting Room, 5420 N. Marlborough Dr.
- Fox Point - TBD
- Franklin – TBD
- Milwaukee 1 – TBD
- Milwaukee 2 – TBD (en español)
- River Hills – TBD
- West Milwaukee – TBD
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