Milwaukee, WI

Dozens of traffic calming projects coming to Milwaukee in 2024

Published

2 years ago

January 31, 2024

Dozens of traffic calming projects coming to Milwaukee in 2024

MILWAUKEE – Construction season will be here before you know it, and this year in the City of Milwaukee, that construction will include dozens of projects aimed at both combating reckless driving and growing a network of protected bike lanes on city streets.

Gathered at the soon-to-be Harley Park at 38th and Highland, where an already-existing stretch of PBLs will be extended west from 35th to 20th Streets, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson reiterated his goal to have a protected bike lane network of 50 miles in the city by 2026. “Milwaukee’s roads WILL be safer” Johnson said Tuesday. “Is it ambitious? Absolutely it is, but it is a cause worthy of all of our endeavors.”

A map showing the various traffic calming projects planned for the City of Milwaukee in 2024. The light blue numbers indicate projects funded by the American Rescue Plan, gold numbers indicate federal and/or state aid projects, and dark blue circles indicate city-funded projects.

While the implementation of PBLs is presented as a method to combat reckless driving, Mayor Johnson says he also hopes they serve the purpose of making the city a more attractive place to live for young professionals.

“They’ll fall in love with the city and its amenities first, before they decide to take a job or settle down or what-not” Johnson told WTMJ’s Vince Vitrano during an event held by Walker Media Agency Monday, referring to young workers. “That’s why I talk about this protected bike lane network. It’s certainly got an application in terms of reckless driving, but that’s a bonafide amenity that’s become very, very popular in cities across the United States.”

READ MORE: Milwaukee continues to build its protected bike lane network

As you might have seen from my X thread on the unveiling yesterday, I was curious to know what the cost comparison is for the post-concrete island combination being utilized across the city versus a complete concrete separator method. City Engineer Kevin Muhs explained to me the individual posts cost between 80 to 100 dollars each, while the islands are around 6,000 dollars apiece. Muhs did not have a cost estimate for how much a concrete-separated bike lane would cost per city block, but in Denver the Colorado Department of Transportation in 2022 estimated the cost of one mile of one-way protected bike lanes to be around 300,000 dollars.

Of the projects on tap for 2024, there are 18 intended to improve access for students riding their bikes to school as part of the Safe Routes to School partnership between the Wisconsin Bike Federation and Milwaukee Public Schools. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the programs encourage children in grades K-8 to walk and bike to school by creating safer walking and biking routes.

SRTS Program Manager with the bike fed Michael Anderson tells me that warmer winters like the one we’re seeing this year encourage people to take two wheels during a window in time when biking is usually not feasible for most. “Any year, there are days in January and February where anyone can come out and ride, and even with our current infrastructure people have been riding year-round in Milwaukee” Anderson tells WTMJ. “We’re going to have more and more of these warm days, but that makes Milwaukee a more year-round climate where walking and biking to school isn’t so much of an obstacle.”

A handful of other PBL variations have been utilized across the city, perhaps most notably on North Avenue, where concrete planters have been installed by the East Side Business Improvement District. However, these planters have faced scrutiny from both cyclists and residents for the debris left behind when they are struck by cars. A post on the East Side Neighborhood Facebook page showed one stretch of North Avenue where a planter had been destroyed:

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: A push for pedestrian safety on Milwaukee’s East Side

As for whether or not the planters will be removed, Muhs acknowledged that while they are being damaged “at a relatively high rate, planters are better than people”. Other options may be considered for the stretch of road in partnership with the B.I.D.

Some PBL projects have already been completed; the most recent on Walnut Street between 12th and 20th Streets opened late last year, and includes bike lanes separated from the main road by a grass terrace.

TOP STORIES FROM THE WTMJ NEWSROOM:

LISTEN: Decision Wisconsin – Changing the status quo in 2024 with Sherwin Hughes

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Milwaukee, WI

Truck drives in to Grace Coffee in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward overnight

Published

3 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Truck drives in to Grace Coffee in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward overnight

MILWAUKEE — A truck drove through the Grace Coffee Co. in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward on early Friday morning, the owners announced in a social media post.

Due to the extensive damage that was done, the coffee shop will be closed until further notice.

TMJ4

“We’re incredibly grateful no one was hurt, and we’ll keep you updated as we begin repairs,” the coffee shop said in the post.

TMJ4 reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department but have yet to hear back.

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Milwaukee, WI

MPS layoffs plan draws pushback as district works to close $46M gap

Published

15 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

MPS layoffs plan draws pushback as district works to close M gap

MPS cuts face backlash

Milwaukee Public Schools plans about 200 layoffs to close a $46 million budget gap, but union leaders say cuts could impact student safety while district leaders say no classroom teachers will be eliminated.

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Public Schools is planning to cut roughly 200 positions next school year as the district works to close a multi-million-dollar budget gap — but there’s disagreement over which roles will be impacted.

What we know:

District leaders say the goal is to close a roughly $46 million shortfall, prompting changes that Superintendent Brenda Cassellius says are necessary.

Milwaukee Public Schools said about 201 staff members will be impacted. District leaders say no classroom teachers, counselors or social workers will be cut — something the teachers’ union disputes.

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The reductions stem from a previously approved plan to eliminate about 260 non-classroom roles. The final number dropped after retirements and existing vacancies. The Milwaukee Board of School Directors approved that plan on March 9.

What they’re saying:

“We have a $50 million deficit, we are for sure not going to be able to do business the same way that we’ve been able to do business,” Cassellius said. “Change is just hard. It’s just hard. And every single one of our employees is so important.”

But some educators say the cuts go too far.

“MTEA is setting up a distress signal. We are talking about our teachers, art teachers, music teachers, physical education teachers, counselors — things that the voters of referendum of Milwaukee actually voted for,” said Ingrid Walker-Henry, president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association. “Staffing is being cut to the extent that they are concerned about student safety.”

Cassellius acknowledged the uncertainty and asked school leaders for patience.

“We just have to for sure know our budget situation, where we’re at with that after these cuts are made in order to make those decisions,” she said. “So I’m asking my principals, be patient with us.”

By the numbers:

The district outlined the 201 affected positions as:

70 central office roles
62 educators with a teaching license but not assigned to one classroom
59 assistant principals

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MPS says the savings will support new class size guidelines, including:

18 students per teacher in K3
20 students per teacher in K4
22 students per teacher in K5

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)

District leaders say no students will be asked to leave a school to meet class size guidelines. Officials say they are working with schools that may not have space or that require larger classes based on specific programs.

What’s next:

Milwaukee Public Schools plans to present its proposed 2026–27 budget to the Milwaukee Board of School Directors in May.

The Source: Information in this post was provided by Milwaukee Public Schools and prior FOX6 coverage.

Milwaukee Public SchoolsMilwaukeeEducationNews

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Milwaukee, WI

Brewers finally announce cable, satellite TV channels for broadcasts

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Brewers finally announce cable, satellite TV channels for broadcasts

Just before the pitch clock hits zero, the Milwaukee Brewers released a rundown of channels on cable and satellite for game broadcasts, mere hours before the 1:10 p.m. CT first pitch on Opening Day, Thursday, March 26.

The club said channels include 1263 on XFinity, 670 on DirecTV, 1743 on U-Verse, and 319 or 469 on Spectrum. The broadcasts are also listed as available on streaming service Fubo.

The Brewers are pointing fans to a channel-finding tool on their web site at Brewers.com/watch, though in the moments after the announcement, the channel finder was not yet locating details for Spectrum customers for Milwaukee-area zip codes. A club spokesperson said Major League Baseball was aware of the error and the games would indeed air on Spectrum in Milwaukee.

The built-in Spectrum guide still showed Channel 308 as the “BREW” offering in Milwaukee, with Brewers Live Pregame scheduled to begin at noon CT and baseball at 1 p.m. March 26.

With the February announcement of a switchover from FanDuel Sports Wisconsin to Major League Baseball productions in 2026, MLB negotiations have gone down to the wire with the various providers around Wisconsin. Several teams covered by Main Street Sports, which operated the FanDuel brand, have been in a similar boat this offseason.

Brewers fans aren’t alone in experiencing the late-arriving channel information. Maury Brown of Forbes has been keeping track of all the late-arriving channel announcements for teams around baseball, specifically those that were covered by the Main Street Sports. As of 7 a.m. March 26, the Royals, Rays, Tigers and Braves also still hadn’t released channel listings.

Streaming customers who used the FanDuel Sports Wisconsin app in previous years can use the new Brewers.TV option to once again watch games. The opener is also one of 10 games simulcast on over-the-air channels this season, including WITI-TV (Channel 6) in Milwaukee.

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