Should Brady Street be closed to cars? A neighborhood business group is pursuing that idea after a man was killed by a hit-and-run driver.
A Brady Street business group wants to study the idea of closing the street to cars after a pedestrian was struck and killed this week by a hit-and-run driver.
The Brady Street Business Improvement District board has voted to pursue the study for "pedestrianizing" the street — known for its numerous bars and restaurants.
The district, which is funded by assessments on the street's commercial property owners, will work with the Department of Public works and other city officials "to ensure this study reviews all aspects of traffic impact and provides a variety of options," according to a Thursday announcement.
The group will seek input from neighborhood residents and business operators, and will pay for the study, said Rachel Taylor, the district's executive director.
Any decision to close the street to cars and other vehicles would need approval from the Common Council and Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
Johnson supports "a study that looks into options that improve safety," said Jeff Fleming, Johnson's director of communications.
"The mayor wants all streets to be more inclusive of pedestrians and bicyclists —particularly in ways that reduce reckless driving through design," Fleming told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Support for the study also is coming from State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, the only candidate on the November ballot for the east side's open Common Council seat.
"In order to move forward, this needs a LOT of community support," Brostoff wrote on his Twitter account.
The district's action comes after 32-year-old Arne J. Bast died after being struck by a driver late Sunday night in 1200 block of East Brady Street, near the intersection with North Franklin Place.
"Arne was an employee, friend and fixture on Brady Street, and he will be very missed," the district statement said.
The statement said the district has invested in traffic cameras and increased security for events in an effort to keep Brady Street safe.
"The events of this week are cause for us to make a plea for a stronger partnership with the City of Milwaukee," it said.
Brady Street is one of two east side streets that are now being pursued as possible pedestrian plazas.
Developer Tim Gokhman has pushed for roughly a half-block of East Ivanhoe Place, east of North Farwell Avenue, to be closed to cars.
Also, city officials in recent years have approved plans under Milwaukee's Complete Streets campaign to replace car lanes with bike lanes and take other steps to reduce speeding and reckless driving.
Milwaukee also has expanded its Active Streets for Businesses program of allowing bars and restaurants to close portions of streets to provide expanded seating for their patrons.
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Closing Brady Street to cars to be studied after hit-and-run death
