City leaders schedule public listening session on reckless driving 'to formulate possible solutions'

MILWAUKEE -- Alderman Michael Murphy on Wednesday, Nov. 6 announced the scheduling of the first of at least two public listening sessions aimed at coming up with solutions to combat Milwaukee's reckless driving problem. This, as a preliminary report from the 15-member City-County Carjacking and Reckless Driving Task Force which began meeting in April was released.

The listening session was scheduled for Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. at South Division High School on Lapham Boulevard near 16th Street.

The task force's preliminary set of recommendations on how to make Milwaukee’s streets safer for drivers and pedestrians was released in late October.

According to a news release, the task force's report offers an initial set of recommendations to change behavior from a three-pronged approach: Engineering solutions, accountability and enforcement, and prevention and education.

“We want to hear from citizens, stakeholders, and anyone who has ideas and input to share," said Murphy in the release. "It seems nearly everyone knows someone affected by reckless driving in Milwaukee, and we need a collective voice to formulate possible solutions."

“I strongly encourage residents to review our preliminary report and to seize this prime opportunity to participate in one or both of these public listening sessions,” said Alderwoman Chantia Lewis in the release. “There is urgency and purpose in our work, and we will be bringing a unique but critical proactive input component to each session that will make attendees know that their contributions are valued and appreciated.”

“Reckless driving is a personal matter to me," said Alderman Jose Perez. "I lost a friend to a reckless driver just two years ago. The Task Force has done a great deal of work leading up to these meetings and I want to do whatever I can to make sure residents hear its recommendations.  More importantly, I want the Task Force to have an opportunity to hear from citizens about how these behaviors affect them and what they think should be done to prevent them.