Brady Street is going to look different in the coming weeks as the city works on a six-week pilot program to make the area safer.
Anna Matel Antoine, executive director of the Brady Street Business Improvement District, said the program runs from June 25 through Aug. 6. She knows there are some concerning behaviors, but stakeholders in the area want to make Brady Street hospitable.
“We want to make sure everybody feels welcome,” Matel Antoine said. “Everybody has a story about Brady street, and we want to make sure that everybody gets to tell those stories with a smile on their face.”
What changes are coming to Brady street?
What safety concerns exist?
Matel Antoine is concerned about loitering, people are bringing alcohol to Brady Street and not going into the businesses and having “almost a street party.”
There are also concerns about reckless driving, loud music, underage drinking and other late-night disruptive behaviors.
In just the past month, there has been a fight at the Brady Street Walgreens, a place infamous for being troublesome, and a shooting that injured a 17-year-old.
There have been programs and efforts to make Brady Street safer before, like raised crosswalks and other changes to slow traffic. But Matel Antoine said this effort is different because everyone has a stake in it, from the alderman’s office, and police, to the neighborhood association and businesses. Everyone is working together to find a solution.
“We all want to see a change,” she said. “We recognize that their is a safety concern and we want to address that and we want make it better and more welcoming to everybody.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brady Street is trying to become safer. Here’s how
Reporting by Blaise Mesa, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Blaise Mesa, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
