Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee County awarded nearly $25 million in federal funding for street safety projects
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.
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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.
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Authorities say a Milwaukee man entered Milwaukee German Immersion School in November without identifying himself, then punching the principal in the face.
Online court records indicate Josiah Glenn, 25, is expected to make his initial court appearance on March 12 before a court commissioner.
He faces a single count of battery to a school district officer.
Milwaukee County prosecutors allege in a criminal complaint that Glenn went to the school at 4:25 p.m. on Nov. 21 to pick up his brother. Normal pick-up time is 4 p.m., so the student was sent to an after-school “camp program.”
Glenn told a school employee at the school entrance he was there to pick up his brother, but refused to identify himself and made his way past the employee and into the school, the complaint says.
He then left with the child and the principal ran after them to make sure the boy “wasn’t being kidnapped,” and to ensure Glenn left the premises, according to the complaint.
The complaint says Glenn began to threaten the principal and the employee, who the principal instructed to call police.
Glenn got into the principal’s face as he was about to get into a car then punched the principal in the face, the document reads.
Court records show Glenn initially was charged on Jan. 26, and that a warrant for his arrest was issued that day.
Milwaukee County Jail records indicate he was placed into custody on March 10, and the charges against him are pending.
Battery to a school district officer is a class-I felony that is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and a maximum three and a half years imprisonment.
Chris Ramirez covers courts for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at caramirez@usatodayco.com.
Drone view of the data center under construction in Port Washington
Check out a drone view of the Vantage Data Center under construction in Port Washington, Wisconsin.
Construction on a stretch of Forest Home Avenue in Milwaukee County is set to resume as part of a Wisconsin Department of Transportation resurfacing project, according to WisDOT.
The project affects Highway 24 — also known as Forest Home Avenue — between Janesville Road in Hales Corners and 45th Street in Milwaukee. The project started in early 2025 and is expected to be completed in mid-2026.
Here’s what to know about the latest construction update.
When will Forest Home Avenue construction resume?
Preparation work for construction along Forest Home Avenue is expected to begin the week of March 16, according to WisDOT.
Active construction work is scheduled to begin the week of March 23, weather permitting.
Where will construction be?
Construction work will take place in two segments along the corridor. The segment between 45th Street and Howard Avenue is already largely complete and will include minor lighting work and restoration.
The segment between Howard Avenue and Janesville Road will include resurfacing, permanent pavement markings, guardrail installation and improvements at several intersections.
What work will be done during construction?
The Highway 24 project will improve about 5 miles of roadway. The work includes resurfacing pavement, replacing traffic signals and lighting at numerous locations, making improvements to the bridge at 76th Street and upgrading sidewalks and curb ramps.
Traffic impacts during Forest Home Avenue construction in Milwaukee County
During construction, Highway 24 will be reduced to one lane in each direction in active work zones. Drivers may also encounter parking lane restrictions, overnight or short-term closures at ramps and intersections, and temporary pedestrian detours.
Access to businesses and residences along the corridor will be maintained during construction.
When will the project be completed?
The project is currently scheduled to be completed in early summer, though WisDOT says the timeline may change depending on weather conditions.
Adrienne Davis is a south suburban reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Got any tips or stories to share? Contact Adrienne at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County leaders are moving forward with a plan to collect unpaid fees owed to the medical examiner’s office by funeral homes.
What we know:
A Milwaukee County committee on Tuesday, March 10, advanced legislation allowing the county attorney to pursue collections from funeral homes with large outstanding debts owed to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Earlier this year, the medical examiner’s office began requiring funeral homes with outstanding balances of $25,000 or more to pay fees up front for services such as death certificates, cremation permits and body transport. Funeral homes collect those fees from families and are expected to pass them along to the county.
What they’re saying:
“What is the overall number we’re waiting on?” asked Milwaukee County Supervisor Sky Capriolo.
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“We do list 18 funeral homes that have a balance, currently, of $25,000 or more,” said Timothy Schabo, Milwaukee County Medical Examiner operations manager.
“Our hope is that, certainly, we’ll be able to avoid any litigation,” said William Davidson, deputy corporation counsel.
“If a family is paying a funeral home for services, and someone at the funeral home is not paying the county, where is that money going? We don’t know?” Capriolo asked.
Officials say it is not uncommon for funeral homes to carry large balances, and some are already aware of their debts, are on payment plans or pay quarterly.
The medical examiner says if families cannot pay and qualify for assistance from the state or county, those fees are waived.
“I understand there is some delay for some families receiving assistance from this program,” Milwaukee County Medical Examiner Dr. Wieslawa Tlomak said. “However, the funeral homes that we are talking about haven’t been paying us for a long period of time.”
Dig deeper:
The medical examiner said the outstanding balances continue to grow.
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Medical examiner records show four Milwaukee funeral homes currently owe a combined $1,324,100, including one funeral home with a balance of more than $512,000.
FOX6 reached out to the funeral homes for comment but has not heard back.
The legislation now heads to the full Milwaukee County Board for consideration.
The Source: FOX6 attended the Milwaukee County committee hearing regarding the funeral home debt.
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