Opportunities to Support “Complete Streets”

Posted on September 17, 2018 by admin

Hi Neighbors,

As east side residents, most of us appreciate that we live so close to so many daily amenities — groceries, drug stores, restaurants, book stores, schools, clinics, and so much more. In fact, many of us live close enough that we might consider healthy and sustainable transportation options of walking, biking, or taking transit to these places.

But having amenities nearby is not the only factor in making the decision to travel in a mode other than a car. We need our streets designed in a way that accommodates or even encourages people to use alternative modes of transportation. “Complete Streets” is the idea that streets are for everyone, no matter the method of your travel. A complete street is one that is designed to be safe for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities.

The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works has developed its first “Complete Streets” policy and will submit it for adoption by the Common Council this fall. The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association supports this new policy, and we want to share with you several ways residents can also voice their support. The following list was created by the Complete Streets Coalition and the Wisconsin Bike Federation.

  1. Sign the Petition: If you haven’t already signed the Milwaukee Complete Streets Petition to advocate for Safer Streets go to this link or simply text “MILWAUKEE” to 46839.
  2. Share on Social: Here is a folder with several social media graphics messages to share. Please share and encourage others to share.
  3. Attend Common Council Meetings: Attend the Public Works Committee Meeting on Wednesday, October 3rd @ 9am at City Hall and RSVP and share the facebook event. All residents of committee members (Ald. Donovan, Ald. Kovac, Ald. Murphy, Ald. Bauman, Ald. Borkowski) are highly encouraged to attend or contact those Alders to let them know you want them to support Complete Streets. Attend the Common Council Meeting on Tuesday October 8th or the 16th (check @completestreetsMKE on Facebook for updates!) @ 9am at City Hall where they will vote on Milwaukee’s first Complete Streets Policy. All Milwaukee residents are invited to attend and share their support for Complete Streets.
  4. Ask Leaders and Organizations to sign on to the Campaign: Ask leaders and organizations you are connected with to join the campaign and consider signing onto the memo of support. Examples: Neighborhood Improvement Districts, Community Organizations, businesses, institutions, public leaders (spiritual leaders, politicians, individual academics, etc.)

Thank you to DPW and the Complete Streets Coalition for their hard work on this important policy!