Reckless driving becomes focus of latest Milwaukee Public Safety & Health Commission meeting

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Common Council members and residents of Milwaukee held a lengthy Public Safety and Health Commission meeting Thursday morning, Dec. 2.

Most of the discussion focused on the prevalent issue of reckless driving throughout the Milwaukee area.

Many Milwaukee residents at the meeting expressed their frustration on what they call a lack of action by city officials.

Steve O'Connell and Mabel Lamb are both residents and members of the Sherman Park Community Association. They both spoke up at the meeting Thursday.

"This is my fourth time being here. When are you guys going to do something?" asked O'Connell.

"What I haven’t heard is a comprehensive plan either coming from the city, the aldermen, the council. Have you all sat together and had a conversation? What are you going to do? Because as residents, we cannot enforce," said Lamb.

Residents say they're also frustrated with the financial toll reckless driving takes on those who do follow the rules of the road.

"The community is exhausted, our insurance rates continue to climb, there is an excessive amount of property damage," said Lamb.

"I've got a neighbor whose house has been hit twice. The poor man is at his wits end," said O'Connell.

O'Connell went on to state the results of last quarter's report from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

"There are 10 hotspots in the city. Eight of those are on the state highways, Capitol Drive and Fond Du Lac," said O'Connell.

Alderman Michael Murphy of District 10 also spoke at the meeting.

"The council is not set up to be able to implement every single one of these recommendations. We just don't have the staff. That's why you have a mayor/city council form of government. The mayor represents the whole city. He or she has the authority to implement these recommendations," explained Murphy.

Murphy went on to state that there was no representative from the mayor's office at the meeting.

He also said the mayor was provided with the new recommendations in June of 2020.