Tracking Complete Streets Progress in Milwaukee

The city of Milwaukee's commitment to Complete Streets is still in early stages, as a new progress report details with an eye toward the future.

1 minute read

September 10, 2020, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Historic Third Ward

Brett Welcher / Shutterstock

The Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) has unveiled a benchmark report, the first of its kind in the city, on progress toward goals for Complete Streets set in October 2019, reports Jeramey Jannene.

The city of Milwaukee adopted its Complete Streets policy with the goal to increase road safety for all users, by planning each project with the safety of not just motorists, but also "pedestrians, bicyclists and other road users, regardless of age or ability, in every street project," explains Jannene. 

The report tracks the city's progress toward making those planning considerations in 2019.

The report looks at all street reconstruction, repaving or striping projects greater than a quarter-mile in length where a “substantial design change” occurred. DPW notes that 22 projects were completed in 2019. Primarily due to the timing of the policy’s October 2018 adoption and long lead time on many DPW projects, only two projects incorporated Complete Streets improvements. One of the projects was located in an [Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas].

Next year's report will have plenty to talk about, notes Jannene: "A number of projects have already been implemented in 2020 that aren’t included in the report, including narrowing or removing travel lanes, shortening pedestrian crossing distances and implementing an Active Street program."

Tuesday, September 1, 2020 in Urban Milwaukee

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

April 18 - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

April 18 - Smart Cities Dive