Vision Zero
was one of the main recommendations put forward by the Reckless Driving Task Force created by the city in January 2019.
“Every effort that the city directs towards trying to save lives is a critical component of what good government is about,” said Ald. Michael Murphy, who chaired the task force.
Officials highlighted $19 million dollars — a mix of local funding and federal pandemic dollars — already being poured into infrastructure changes across the city. That includes street redesigns, lane reductions and traffic circles. Many of the ongoing and planned projects are concentrated on the city’s northwest side. The mayor did not rule out directing more of the city’s unallocated ARPA funding towards reckless driving reduction.
The city will also embark on educational campaigns to improve driver behavior and is working toward universal driver’s ed. The Milwaukee Police Department is also towing unregistered vehicles involved in reckless driving.
“The funding is going to make a big difference, but part of it is also changing internal policies and philosophies,” said Kate Riordan, a Department of Public Works official who spearheaded the Vision Zero effort in the mayor’s office. “How do we set ourselves up better in the city to be achieving the goal, and how do we better use what we already have?”
Moving forward, the city will convene a Vision Zero working group made up of officials from various departments as well as community activists. The resolution was backed by a number of local groups including the Coalition for Safe Driving MKE, the Sherman Park Community Association and the Wisconsin Bike Fed.
Chicago, Minneapolis, Madison among other Vision Zero cities
Milwaukee joins just a handful of Midwestern cities, including Chicago and Minneapolis, that have committed to Vision Zero. Madison, which joined the network in May, was the first city in Wisconsin to do so. The wider network includes dozens of large cities nationwide.
But progress had been slow, and at times uneven. Many cities that are now years into enacting their Vision Zero plans, including Chicago, have seen fatalities spike during the pandemic and remain heightened. Others have seen their safe routes plans collect dust on shelves.
And this is hardly a new issue. Milwaukee has committed resources to combat reckless driving in the past, often through enforcement and educational means. But even when crashes have decreased, the severity of crashes have increased, pushing up overall fatalities.
“I’m looking to cities that have seen forward motion,” Johnson said. “I’m going to continue to push for opportunities for the city to continue to be a leader in reducing traffic deaths down to zero and Vision Zero is gonna help to get us there.”
Within the mayor’s office, Vision Zero will be handled by a policy director and another staff member. Having staff dedicated to the issue and bringing together various departments and community groups may prevent Vision Zero from falling by the wayside, policy director Molly King said.
“So many people want to be involved,” King said. “We’re hoping to make this a priority and move the needle. Nothing will be accomplished overnight.”
Also influential will be the city’s new DPW commissioner, who will likely be nominated by Mayor Johnson in the coming months.
Julie Wellinger, the mother of a traffic violence victim who died last August, attended last week’s event in support of Vision Zero. She advocated for stronger enforcement of traffic laws and high punishments for reckless drivers.
“If this would have been in place a year ago, I’d still have my son, maybe,” Wellinger said.