Speed bumps can cut down on reckless driving. Here's how to get one installed in your Milwaukee neighborhood.
Talis Shelbourne
With reckless driving on the rise and 2020 representing the deadliest year for traffic fatalities in Milwaukee County in decades, more Milwaukee residents are turning to speed bumps (also called speed humps) to calm the traffic.
Fourth district Alderman Robert Bauman said speed humps are one of the cheapest and most commonly requested traffic calming measures he receives from residents, and the Department of Public Works estimated that 200 requests have been made in the last year.
Here's what you need to know about how to request a speed bump for your block.
What is the process of requesting a speed bump in Milwaukee?
Bauman says that anyone interested in requesting the installation of a speed bump should first reach out to their local alderperson to figure out if there are any measures specific to their area they need to take.
However, the general process is as follows:
- If you want a speed bump, you must start a petition and request at least 50% of support from the block's property owners and/or residents. You must also elicit support from your area's alderperson.
- With that support, a speed study is conducted on your street. DPW will prepare a cost estimate and send out postcard surveys with those estimates of what it will cost per property. Residents must return the postcards with a vote.
- If the majority of residents approve on the postcards, it goes before the Common Council, which makes the ultimate decision on speed bump installation.
- DPW designs and installs the speed bump.
- Roughly a year or two after the bump is installed, costs are assessed.
The Milwaukee Department of Public Works also outlines this process in more detail on its website.
How do I make a request?
Both property owners and renters need to send in a request using a specific form and mail it to the following address:
City of Milwaukee Traffic Engineering841 N. Broadway, Room 920Milwaukee, WI 53202414-286-3667
While gathering signatures for your petition, you will need to use a form and mail it to the address above. Bauman noted that there is also a way to electronically request support outside of physical signatures, "if there’s a neighborhood listserv or email network." For more information, reach out to your specific alderman.
I'm a renter. Can I still request a speed bump?
Yes, renters can request that a speed bump be installed in their neighborhood and seek the support of other renters as well as home-owning residents on their block. All physical traffic calming measures require consent from the area's alderperson and 50% of support from the block's property owners.
Bauman said when the requests come before the Common Council, the status of the resident is not as important as whether they have a majority of support and evidence that the traffic calming measure is needed.
"As a practical matter, we’re more interested in the sentiment of people who actually live on the block whether they’re property owners or renters," he said. "Absolutely (renters can petition). If the renters are for it and their California property owner is against it, we’re going to give a lot more weight to the renters."
Are speed bumps allowed everywhere?
Speed bumps are not allowed everywhere. A speed bump or speed hump can only be installed on side streets, typically in residential neighborhoods. They are not allowed on arterial streets such as West Capitol Drive or West Silver Spring Drive.
How will I know if the bump is approved?
You will have to appear before the Common Council for approval. If there is substantial dissent from residents on your block, it is possible the speed bump may not be approved.
In addition, according to the city's neighborhood traffic management program, before requests for physical traffic calming measures are considered, the city assesses non-physical options such as signage, pavement markings, digital speed trailers and "targeted traffic enforcement."
However, if speed humps are considered a viable option and you have the majority of your neighbors' support, the request is likely to be approved by the Common Council.
What is the cost?
Ninety percent of the cost for a speed bump is paid by the residents in the neighborhood and 10% is paid for by the city.
The average cost is around $6.50/foot of property, which usually results in a bill of $200-$300 per property owner. That cost can be paid off right away in full, or in low-interest installments over ten years.
The cost will be allocated on property tax bills, which Bauman said tend to show up one or two years after the speed bump is installed.
What can I expect during installation?
The physical installation process for the speed bump takes roughly 3-5 days.
During installation, no utilities are affected. However, there will be "No parking" signs in the area near the bump which can go up anytime after the contract is awarded and will remain there until the process is complete. In addition, no through traffic is allowed, although residents are able to get in from either side of the street up to where the hump will be installed.
On the first day of work, contractors will mill the surface for two hours, and that day or the next, an asphalt crew will build the bump for another two hours. The bump sits for a few days and after that, epoxy pavement markings are drawn.
How long will the entire process take?
Brian DeNeve, a spokesman for the Department of Public Works, said that due to the high number of requests for speed bumps, approval may take longer than usual.
Even after a request is approved, depending on the contractor, it may take between two weeks and two months before the speed hump is actually installed in your neighborhood.
It is suggested that you make your request as early as possible to have it installed sooner.
Contact Talis Shelbourne at (414) 403-6651 or tshelbourn@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @talisseer and message her on Facebook at @talisseer.
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