Milwaukee County plans to use nearly $25 million in federal funding for more than 60 street safety projects throughout the community. 

The grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program will be used in an effort to reduce crashes along some of the most dangerous roads in the county.

“This is a great opportunity for us to focus on one of the issues that have been affecting Milwaukee County residents, which is reckless driving,” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said. 

The 65 infrastructure projects will be along ten “Corridors of Concern,” or “roadways that have been identified as the most hazardous in the County,” according to a county statement. The work will take place in West Allis, Glendale, Brown Deer, Shorewood, the city of Milwaukee and on multiple Milwaukee County highways. 

Some of the work will include high-visibility crosswalks, traffic signal upgrades, curb bump-outs, intersection upgrades and sidewalk expansions. The funding will also be used for traffic calming projects on three of the county’s “highest-speed corridors.” 

The county expects the projects to reduce “fatal and serious injury crashes” at the intersections and road segments by 26 to 50 percent, according to a statement. The work is anticipated to be completed by 2031. 

“We don’t want to put something in place that’s going to work for a year and then down the line, all of a sudden, we have to do more studies to figure out how we improve this even more,” Crowley said about the projects.

The city of Milwaukee was also awarded a separate $8 million grant for street safety improvements on portions of North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and West Forest Home Avenue through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program. That funding will be used to reduce speeding and improve safety for pedestrians and drivers on those corridors, according to a statement from the Milwaukee Department of Public Works. 

Some of the work for that project will include curb extensions, raised crosswalks, raised intersections and improving curb ramps along the roads, according to city engineer Kevin Muhs.

“This is great news,” Muhs said about the grant. “We’re excited to make some good safety and pavement investments on these two corridors.” 

Reckless driving has plagued residents of Milwaukee for years. A 2024 Wisconsin Policy Forum report found traffic fatalities increased by 113.5 percent from 2002 to 2022 in Milwaukee County, while they dropped across the state during the same time period.

Local leaders have invested millions of dollars to combat the problem over the past few years. Street redesign and engineering projects — known as “traffic calming” projects — can help narrow roads, making it more difficult for drivers to speed.

Muhs said he believes the projects are working, even if some residents have complained about the changes slowing down traffic. 

“Really, what we’re trying to do is manage excessive speeds,” Muhs said. “That’s the goal of all of this.” 

There were 27,400 traffic crashes in Milwaukee County in 2021 , according to a county dashboard. That number fell to 24,600 in 2024.  

The Milwaukee Common Council passed an ordinance in late 2025 that allows for vehicles involved in a reckless driving offense to be impounded. A spokesperson for the Milwaukee Police Department said that there were 30 “reckless vehicle tows” between Nov. 5, 2025 and Sunday.

Meanwhile, some state lawmakers want to place up to 75 red light cameras at intersections across Milwaukee. Another proposal would place devices that limit a driver’s speed in the vehicles of repeat reckless drivers in Wisconsin.

The Forest County Potawatomi Community was also awarded a $3.6 million grant through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program’s 2025 funding cycle. That money will be used to construct a shared use path along a state highway. 

• Milwaukee County will receive nearly $25 million in federal funding for traffic safety projects.
• The 67 projects will target 10 of the county’s most hazardous roadways in several municipalities.
• Upgrades will include improved pedestrian infrastructure, intersection updates, and traffic calming measures.
• Officials estimate the projects could reduce fatal and serious injury crashes by 26%–50%.

Milwaukee County will receive nearly $25 million in federal funding for 67 traffic safety projects along 10 of the county’s most hazardous roadways, according to a Jan. 12 announcement from County Executive David Crowley’s office.

That funding will support upgrades for pedestrian infrastructure, intersections and high-speed corridors in Milwaukee, West Allis, Glendale, Brown Deer, Shorewood and on multiple county highways.

Collectively, these projects could reduce fatal and serious injury crashes in hazardous areas by 26%–50% and save an estimated $1.2 billion in car crash costs over 20 years, according to the announcement.

Preliminary designs are anticipated to begin in 2027, with all projects completed by 2031.

The funding comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant, which the county’s Department of Transportation applied for in 2025 as part of its Complete Communities Transportation Planning Project, an initiative to increase safety and reduce reckless driving across its roadways. 

Already, the county has analyzed crash data, identified 25 “Corridors of Concern,” and reviewed potential project opportunities.

Milwaukee County’s award amounts to the third-largest grant in the federal program’s 2025 funding cycle. It will be managed by the county and distributed to the five municipal recipients.

The municipalities will lead the projects and provide a 20% local match to support costs.

More details about the projects’ locations will be posted on the transportation department’s website, according to the announcement.

The 65 infrastructure projects and two studies enabled by the grant aim to improve safety along 10 hazardous roadways the county has identified. 

Pedestrian infrastructure upgrades will include high-visibility crosswalks, upgraded pedestrian walk signals, restricting right-turn-on-red options, and sidewalk network expansion.

Intersection upgrades will include traffic signal upgrades, better visibility for pedestrians, bump-outs, and select geometric realignments. High-speed corridor upgrades will entail traffic calming improvements that help drivers stay in their lanes.

One of the projects will also seek to reduce reckless driving on the 16th Street viaduct, the 27th Street viaduct and the 35th Street viaduct. 

The grant will also fund a safety analysis study on West Lincoln Avenue between South 124th Street and South 52nd Street, which will issue recommendations for future projects. The grant will also fund a county Department of Transportation report assessing the county’s progress toward the Vision Zero goal.

Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13.

MILWAUKEE – New details are emerging in the death of a pregnant woman found dead after a house fire investigators say was intentionally set, as the man charged in the case appeared in court.

What we know:

21-year-old Cameron Washington appeared Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, where prosecutors outlined allegations tying him to the death of 22-year-old Gladys Johnson-Ball.

Washington faces six felony charges, including first-degree recklessly endangering safety and arson, all connected to the fire that broke out the night of Jan. 5.

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According to the criminal complaint, Johnson-Ball was the mother of Washington’s 3-year-old daughter and was pregnant with another child at the time of her death. Investigators say Washington lived with Johnson-Ball and her family at a home near 26th and Locust.

Police were called to the home for reports of a person with a weapon. When officers arrived, they reported seeing flames on the second floor of the house. While clearing the home, officers found Johnson-Ball unconscious in a bedroom that was on fire. 

She was taken outside and pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators noted Johnson-Ball had bruises across her body and blood coming from her nose and mouth, according to the complaint.

The complaint says Johnson-Ball’s mother told police Washington and her daughter had been inside the bedroom together all day and that family members had been unable to reach her. She told investigators Washington would not allow anyone inside the room and pointed a gun at family members.

What they’re saying:

“He was blocking the door like, ‘No you not getting in here,’ then I turned around and that’s when he pointed the gun at my daughter Kayla,” said Michelle Johnson, the victim’s mother.

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Family members told investigators the fire started moments later in the bedroom and Washington ran away from the house. He was later arrested, and police say a lighter was found in his pocket.

“Ultimately, this is extremely dangerous and deliberate behavior,” said Assistant District Attorney Anthony Moore.

Dig deeper:

In court, Washington’s bond was set at $100,000. Prosecutors said he could face more than 50 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

Court Commissioner Maria Dorsey noted Washington has not yet been charged with homicide because the medical examiner’s report was not completed when charges were filed.

What’s next:

Washington’s next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 20.