The city’s first Vision Zero Summit, held Wednesday, explored the big “how” questions around the goal of ending traffic deaths and life-changing injuries by the end of 2037.
Eliminating traffic deaths is the main goal of Vision Zero, an initiative that includes a multi-sector approach to help increase traffic safety.
Jessica Wineberg, Vision Zero policy director for the City of Milwaukee, said the community asked for more places to learn and share ideas during the development of the Vision Zero Action Plan, which was fully launched in 2025.
Wineberg said more than 300 people registered for the summit, which took place at Centennial Hall, 733 N. 8th St. They participated in panels, walks, tours, a mobility fair and other interactive sessions.
She added that community members could apply to be part of the Vision Zero Community Advisory Committee to support the plan’s implementation.
“Seeing the community show up for this and be engaged is the most important part of this work because the more of us that are together saying that safety matters and there should be zero deaths, the more we can do and the faster we can do it,” Wineberg said.
Community members, transportation professionals and speakers from other areas dealing with similar traffic-related challenges gathered to discuss safety, mobility and accessibility for walking, biking, riding transit and driving in Milwaukee.
What is Vision Zero?
The City of Milwaukee unanimously adopted Vision Zero as a policy in 2022 and Milwaukee County committed to Vision Zero and developed its own project in 2024.
According to the city’s Vision Zero annual report, traffic deaths declined from 70 deaths in 2024 to 54 deaths in 2025, although the preliminary 2025 data will not be confirmed until July.
Milwaukee Police Department reported a 43% increase in reckless-driving-related arrests in 2025, according to department data. Part of the Vision Zero approach is to support accountability in the justice system with a focus on prevention.
“Our Vision Zero approach where we layer on lots of different strategies to improve safety has been working in Milwaukee, and that’s really what I think we can see in our fatality numbers,” Wineberg said.
The city and its collaborators have accomplished some of the plan’s 100 action items, including the Milwaukee Department of Public Works changing how they design streets to focus on safety over speed, Wineberg said.
She said there is still more work to be done.
Changes to the built environment
Engineers from the city and state shared examples of small and large-scale projects they use to improve safety during a session at the summit. Examples included raised crosswalks for pedestrians and lighting up “wrong way” signs on interstate entrance and exit ramps.
Jesse Jefferson, civil engineering project manager for the Milwaukee Department of Public Works, said the city is moving toward building “human-scale” streets instead of the large, multi-lane roadways like Capitol Drive that can be difficult for bikers and pedestrians to navigate.
Jefferson and Isabel Gunderson, a civil engineer for the Department of Public Works, said their teams work to find common ground with residents who have questions about how streetscaping projects could impact their access to parking and other concerns.
“I think it really helps to center the conversation around shared goals,” Gunderson said.
Becky Rabitan, an advocate for persons with disabilities and former Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator for the City of Milwaukee, said after the session that it’s important for planners to engage with the disabled community early.
“Because even though you may have a design that works, it may not be the best design for persons with disabilities, who have the hardest time as pedestrians,” she said.
Rabitan, who also spoke on a panel, said everyone at the event was concerned about safety at different levels.
“It’s showing that people’s wheels are turning,” she said.
Personal experiences shape change
In the breakout session, “Families for Safe Streets,” advocates for reckless driving victims shared their personal experiences and how it may affect future policy.
Mariah Johnson’s brother, Jerrold Wellinger, was on his way to the gas station nearly five years ago when he was struck and killed by two reckless drivers speeding at 120 miles per hour.
Since then, Johnson has taken to social media, where she shares her story to over 65,000 followers on TikTok. She also featured in a City of Milwaukee social media and billboard campaign that urged motorists to slow down.
“What I really would like to see is the community take it as serious as we do,” said Johnson, a 53218 resident. “I feel blessed to represent my city, because I feel like so often people that look like me don’t get to represent our city.”
Erin Mogenson was eight weeks pregnant when a speeding driver going over 100 miles per hour killed her just four blocks from her home. After the tragedy, Mogenson’s mother and mother-in-law banded together for change.
Their action sparked ‘Enough is Enough – a legacy for Erin,’ a foundation committed to raising awareness and supporting legislative actions for public safety against speeding. The foundation created ‘Court Watch,’ which monitors, records and publishes court cases and verdicts for reckless driving.
“We wanted to create some transparency about what was happening in court,” Lupo said. “We couldn’t change what happened to Erin, but we could help shine a light on what happens afterward.”
How to learn more?
Find a form to apply for the mayor’s Vision Zero Community Advisory Committee and more information on the city’s Vision Zero website.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
