Safety advocates, business leaders split on Brady Street changes

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- There's agreement new measures are needed to protect pedestrians and bicyclists in one of Milwaukee's most popular neighborhoods, but activists and a Brady Street business association are divided over what those changes should include.

Members of 'MilWALKee Walks,' a program within the Wisconsin Bike Fed, staged a demonstration Thursday at the intersection of E. Brady St. and N. Arlington Pl. It was the third such action this month where activists helped pedestrians cross Brady St. while holding bright signs.

The demonstration came just days after the Brady Street Business Improvement District sent a letter calling for recent safety changes to be undone.

The letter was addressed to Ald. Jonathan Brostoff, whose district includes the Lower East Side neighborhood, as well as the heads of Milwaukee's Department of Public Works and Department of City Development.

In August, the city reconfigured the lanes near a series of crosswalks at Brady and Arlington. The new lanes curve out toward the curb instead of running straight.

The business district maintained the lane switch was ineffective. The letter called on the city to move the lanes back to how they were, restoring parking spaces and loading zones that were lost.

"These new efforts are proving to be a detriment to businesses located on that area of the street," the letter read.

The business district did not respond to messages left Thursday.

Program Manager Marybeth McGinnis said she believed the redesigned lanes were a good start, but she also called for physical barriers in the street to slow down drivers.

"I see people every single week getting hit in this city. Brady's had multiple hit-and-runs in just a couple of months," McGinnis said. "I don't see how that's not a public health crisis. It makes people not want to go to businesses. It makes people not want to be here."

On September 2, a driver struck and injured a pedestrian on Brady Street before fleeing the scene. Police arrested a suspect last week. On Memorial Day weekend, a hit-and-run driver critically injured Quincy Alexander, a beloved figure who works near Brady Street.

The letter also called for the cancelation of plans to install planters in the intersection as another traffic calming measure. 

Sherman Bates, who said he crosses Brady Street daily, maintained the redesigned lanes were having a minimal effect. He supported the installation of stop signs instead.

"You got a red light down there," Bates said, pointing east toward N. Farwell Ave. "The next one's down on [N. Humboldt Blvd.] In between there, they should just put some stop signs. That'll slow it down, don't you think?"

The business district does think that's the solution. Its letter called for stop signs at the Brady and Arlington intersection.

Department of Public Works Spokesperson Tiffany Shepherd said in an email the agency was aware of the recent request the business district had sent.

"As we consider the feedback from the BID, safety remains our top priority," Shepherd said.

McGinnis said she wasn't opposed to stop signs but called for the city follow through with its plans to set down planters first.

"It'd be hard to tell without data, so I would really like to see them try the planters," she said. "See what happens, see if it slows things down. You can always move them again if it doesn't work the way they intend to, but I would like to see them try that before going straight to stop signs."

Long-term, the business district spearheaded a study that produced four different proposals for what a four-block stretch between Humboldt and Farwell would look like, including two scenarios where cars would be banned.

"We want a safer, more prosperous Brady Street. We're going to continue the work to combat reckless driving," Brostoff wrote in a text message Thursday. "I welcome anyone who wants to work together toward that goal."

There's no timeline for when a final decision will be made, just that it will be a collaboration between the business district, the city, the Milwaukee County Transit System and neighbors.