MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County has been awarded nearly $25 million in federal funding to improve traffic safety along some of the area's most dangerous roadways, county officials announced Monday.
READ ALSO: Milwaukee County's plan to combat reckless driving near 'Corridors of Concern' adopted
The funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation through its Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant and is the third-largest grant in the federal program's 2025 cycle, according to a release from Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
The federal grant will fund 67 traffic safety projects along 10 of the area’s most hazardous roadways. Crowley said the projects are expected to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes at targeted intersections and road segments by 26% to 50% along 10 Milwaukee County Corridors of Concern, which are roadways identified as the most hazardous in the county.
The grant will also fund two planning studies.
Watch previous coverage below:
According to the release, the traffic safety projects are anticipated to save an estimated $1.2 billion in car crash costs over 20 years, with funding to be managed by the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) and distributed to five local municipalities.
What the projects include:
- Pedestrian infrastructure upgrades: To help reduce the impact of crashes involving people walking and using transit, projects will include high-visibility crosswalks, upgraded pedestrian walk signals, restricting right-turn-on-red, and sidewalk network expansion.
- Intersection upgrades: To improve safety for vulnerable roadway users and motorists, intersection upgrades will include traffic signal upgrades, better visibility for pedestrians, bump-outs, and select geometric realignments.
- High-speed corridor upgrades: To improve safety along three of the County’s highest-speed corridors, improvements are proposed to calm traffic, help drivers stay in their lanes, and reduce reckless driving on the 16th Street viaduct, the 27th Street viaduct and the 35th Street viaduct.
- Lincoln Avenue Transportation Safety Planning Study: The City of West Allis will conduct a safety analysis study on W. Lincoln Avenue between S. 124th Street and S. 52nd Street and recommend strategies to improve safety for all roadway users.
- Road to Vision Zero Report: MCDOT will use supplemental planning funding to develop a report that will assess the County's progress toward achieving its goal of Vision Zero by 2037.
Project locations
Project sites include the City of Milwaukee, the City of West Allis, the City of Glendale, the Village of Brown Deer, the Village of Shorewood, and multiple County Trunk Highways.
Crowley says that municipalities will lead the projects in their jurisdiction and provide a 20% local match to support project costs. Safety project locations and details will be located on MCDOT’s website at county.milwaukee.gov/mcdot [county.milwaukee.gov].
“I am proud my administration secured new funding that will save lives along our most hazardous roads and intersections by addressing speeding – the number one reason people die in crashes,” said County Executive Crowley. “Tackling this serious public safety issue is a collaborative effort. I’m grateful to our federal partners for joining us to support our Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2037. I also want to recognize our local partners for their dedication to safer roads. I remain committed to working with anyone who shares our mission to deliver investments that make Milwaukee County safer and stronger for working families across our community.”
Preliminary designs are expected to begin in 2027, with all projects completed by 2031.
The next round of funding solicitations for SS4A is expected in mid-2026. Crowley said the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation plans to continue working with municipalities interested in seeking additional funding at that time.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
