During a press conference today in which incoming Mayor Cavalier Johnson was joined by the Milwaukee Police Department, Office of Violence Prevention, WI Department of Transportation, the Milwaukee Department of Public Works, and community groups including Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Sherman Park Community Association, Next Door Foundation, Running Rebels, VIA CDC, and others, Johnson unveiled a detailed plan to abate reckless driving in Milwaukee.
The plan entitled S.T.A.N.D. for Safer Streets will focus on the core pillars of:
· Safe street design
· Traffic enforcement
· Accountability
· Neighborhood Engagement
· Demand progress
This plan commits to engaging a broad coalition of residents, businesses, advocates, and stakeholders to address reckless driving. The full plan with additional details is attached.
“As a parent of three children in Milwaukee, and someone who drives these streets daily, I find the statistics around automobile accidents and vehicle thefts unacceptable,” said Johnson. In 2021, 65 people in Milwaukee have lost their lives due to reckless driving accidents, and more than 9,000 cars have been stolen, double the amount in 2020.
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S.T.A.N.D. for Safer Streets /ADD ONE
“The plan we are launching here today, S.T.A.N.D. for Safer Streets, is a multifaceted approach that will immediately address the reckless driving crisis we face in our city. As Mayor, I plan to put the full weight of my administration behind meaningful action to combat reckless driving every day,” Johnson said.
The plan calls for, among other things: Increasing the deployment of physical road improvements; stepped-up enforcement by the Milwaukee Police Department; a new policy for towing unregistered or unlicensed vehicle operators who are caught driving at dangerous speeds; and a dedicated staff member in the Mayor’s office to coordinate the Vision Zero plan across city departments and work with residents and businesses.
