'Safety is priority:' Milwaukee Public School District spends $250K to combat reckless driving
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- It's a problem that feels never-ending.
Reckless driving is a constant concern for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists in Milwaukee -- and the issue isn't seeming to slow down.
Now, officials in the Milwaukee Public School District (MPSD), are working to implement new safety measures to try and prevent reckless drivers.
"We’re definitely being proactive and looking out for our priority, which is the safety of the students," said Sean Kane, the senior director of the Department of Facilities & Maintenance Services at MPSD. "We had to utilize some other measures like fence posts and have those installed, so with units and with some of the labor resources, it was about $250,000 so far."
Included in that price tag are new concrete bollards that are being installed on an incident-by-incident basis.
"What it’s supposed to do is prevent cars from coming onto the sidewalks," Kane said. "We can only control what we can control."
Kane added, however, that the district wishes the community would just obey the speed limit so the funds from Esser III could be allocated to other educational resources.
"We always got to look out for the safety of the students, but yes, we’d love to have those resources and funds be going back into the classroom for the students," Kane said.
See the concrete bollards and planters outside of this #Milwaukee high school? District officials say they’ve spent about a quarter of a million dollars on safety measures like these as reckless driving is an increasing and “uncontrollable” issue. Tune in tonight on @CBS58pic.twitter.com/yMJslVbrzJ
— Ellie Nakamoto-White (@ellienw_news) October 7, 2022
Kelly Wilbourn, a parent in the district, said he thinks the bollards are "a great idea."
"I'm glad they're doing that," Wilbourn said, noting that he sees reckless driving "hourly."
Wilbourn said he doesn't allow his daughter, who is learning how to drive, to drive around the area.
"She has to be very familiar with the city before I let her drive anywhere," Wilbourn said. "We just got reckless drivers. Very terrible. Very senseless."