Wisconsin state Sen. LaTonya Johnson and Rep. Supreme Omokunde announced they’re introducing legislation to make available $60 million for traffic calming infrastructure to fight reckless driving across the state.
According to a survey sent by Omokunde to his constituents in Wisconsin’s 17th Assembly District, residents listed reckless driving as a “top concern of issue.”
Reckless driving, which typically involves a combination of speeding, distracted driving and erratic and aggressive behaviors, has remained a persistent issue across the state, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
The proposed bill seeks to make $60 million in state-funded grants available to reconstruct roads with physical designs that deter dangerous driving behaviors, like raised crosswalks and extended curbs.
It has not yet been determined who could apply for the funds, Omokunde said.
Omokunde’s office said the bill was introduced for co-sponsorship Wednesday.
The Democrat-led bill must pass through the state Legislature controlled by Republicans in both chambers. According to Omokunde’s office, it is not clear if any representatives across the aisle have agreed to help sponsor the bill.
Reckless driving has had fatal toll in Milwaukee, around Wisconsin
There were 138 fatal reckless driving related incidents and 2,084 injuries from over 5,600 crashes throughout Wisconsin in 2024, according to the state transportation department.
“Families worry about letting their children wait at the bus stop, senior citizens worry about crossing the streets and driving to doctors appointments,” Johnson said. “Because at any point a speeding driver may spin out of control, blow through a stop sign or clip the curb.”
Last year, there were about 16,500 crashes from speeding alone, causing about 170 deaths and over 6,500 injuries, according to DOT.
Over the last five years, the Wisconsin State Patrol gave out over 1,000 tickets every year for drivers going over 100 miles per hour.
Currently, first-time reckless driving offenders can face fines up to $400, and drivers involved in crashes with serious injuries can face up to six years in prison and fines up to $10,000.
The bill is aimed to curve reckless driving across the state, but Milwaukee’s reputation for reckless driving has been a topic of discussion for several years. The city was even recognized as having some of the worst drivers in America, according to a Forbes ranking in 2024.
“We know that reckless driving occurs all across the state, but we also know that because of the City of Milwaukee’s population, we see a higher percentage of those deaths and those crashes,” Johnson said.
County Executive David Crowley’s Office spoke with Omokunde about the importance of road safety and investment and stressed the importance of a bill to fund those projects.
“We simply must increase multimodal safety and reduce reckless driving,” Crowley said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Additional investments for traffic calming measures can help accomplish this goal and I support any proposal that delivers funding for Milwaukee County to make our streets and roadways safer for all who use them.”
The city has implemented a number of traffic calming projects with positive outcomes, according to residents and Department of Public Works data.
At W. Pierce Street near Mitchell Park, the number of people driving 10 miles per hour or more above the speed limit dropped by 75% since the elevated crosswalk was installed in 2024, according to DPW data.
Cars drive over a raised crosswalk on East Chambers Street and North Holton Street on Aug. 27, 2025, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A new bill proposes providing grant funding for traffic calming measures, such as raised crosswalks.
Antonio Fumbanks lives near an elevated crosswalk on N. Holton Street and W. Chambers Street in the Harambee neighborhood. He told the Journal Sentinel it has helped prevent speeding in front of his home.
“This was a strip, this was Holton Express until they put that there,” he said. “It slows down a lot of traffic.”
According to Fumbanks, the only downside is the noise at night, when people do not see the crosswalk. The bottoms of the cars crash and scrape against the concrete, making a loud banging sound.
“I would prefer it to be there than not be there,” he said. “Even though it is kind of like a nuisance because of all the noise, but you know, it is safe.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Traffic calming bill announced to combat reckless driving in Wisconsin