Milwaukee 'Moving City' art car broken down month after being introduced
MILWAUKEE - "The Moving City" art car, a publicly funded project aimed at reducing reckless driving in Milwaukee, is having some technical difficulties.
The car can't currently move.
"Nobody knows, nobody knows," Alderman Lamont Westmoreland said. "We don't even know the costs."
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It's the question that is surrounding Milwaukee's $88,000 investment that broke down just a month after being introduced.
"Regardless if this happened. If it didn't happen, there should've been a plan ready for maintenance and we should know right away who is paying for this," Westmoreland said.
The cone-covered truck was created to raise awareness on reckless driving. Westmoreland, who has been vocal about his opposition for the art piece, said he has yet to get any answers.
'Moving City' art car; Milwaukee alderman concerned about $88K cost
It is an art piece meant for community interaction while highlighting the impact of reckless driving. But new questions are being raised about its cost.
"When people are silent it tells me that they're not ready, that they don't know how to answer it," he said.
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Vision Zero, the initiative in charge of the vehicle, said it has to do with a suspension issue, as it cannot handle the weight of the art.
"As all car owners know, vehicles need maintenance and occasional repairs," said Jessica Wineberg, Vision Zero Policy Director. "We are lucky to have a team of experts that can fix fire trucks, street sweepers, and also The Moving City (which is really just a Ford Ranger). We anticipate the vehicle will be back on the road in the not too distant future."
"It's a slap to the general taxpayers face because they're splitting the bill for this thing, they're also putting the bill for the repair," Westmoreland said.
FOX6 News also reached out to the Milwaukee Arts Board for answers, but were referred to Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s office, as the board has independent expenditure authority.