Milwaukee County unveils plans to make roads safer

Over the next decade, residents in all 19 Milwaukee County municipalities could see more left-turn lanes, curb bump-outs, raised crossings and other permanent transformations at the community’s most significant road hazards if city leaders follow recommendations outlined in new Municipal Safety Action Plans.

Each safety action plan was built through analyses of crash data, municipal expertise and public feedback, and provides recommendations for elected officials and staff on how to improve each area’s biggest safety risks, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley announced in a press conference March 17 in Wauwatosa. All plans can be viewed on the county website.

A $32 million federal grant secured by the Complete Communities Transportation Planning Project, which is led by the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation, helped fund the creation of the plans.

The publishing of the municipal safety action plans marks the end of that county’s three-phase planning project and could unlock more funding for recommendations in the plans, according to a news release shared following the press conference.

The plans also mark a major step in the county’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious road-related injuries by 2037, Crowley said. Crashes have declined across the county, but at the same time the crashes that do occur are getting more severe, according to Dr. Ben Weston, chief health policy adviser for Milwaukee County.

Now, it’s up to each municipality to decide which changes to make on their streets, and how to fund them – whether locally through mechanisms like tax incremental financing or community development block grants, or through state or federal programs.

Wauwatosa had a 2025 with no fatal crashes, but more work needed to lower serious injuries by traffic crashes

In Wauwatosa, which has drafted its own commitment to Vision Zero, the goals for no fatalities and injuries on the road are already looking attainable, Mayor Dennis McBride said at the press conference.

Zero people died due to traffic crashes in Wauwatosa in 2025, the first year since 2019 the city saw no fatal crashes on its streets. Still, in 2025, 16 severe injuries involving crashes occurred in Wauwatosa.

“One year of zero fatalities does not mean our problem is solved,” McBride said. “This shows progress is possible, but we still need to eliminate the serious injuries on our streets.”

Wauwatosa’s Municipal Safety Action Plan will be another tool for the city, which is working to “constantly improve our roads,” McBride said.

In 2025, the city implemented three traffic calming projects, all funded through the $15 vehicle registration fee, or wheel tax, that went into effect April 1, 2025, and is paid for annually by vehicle owners for initiatives to help combat reckless driving.

That includes flashing beacons and bump-outs at Wauwatosa Avenue and Wright Street, bump-outs and signage at Lloyd and 73rd streets and improvements near schools at Center and 120th streets.

But city funds and new fees alone can’t keep up with the road needs, and local communities need more funding from the state to make improvements, McBride said.