Strong Towns South Milwaukee

Strong Towns South Milwaukee We are a group of South Milwaukee citizens who advocate for our city to be safe, livable, financially strong, resilient, and inviting.

There’s something wonderfully poetic about one of downtown South Milwaukee’s most pedestrian-friendly days happening dur...
08/22/2026

There’s something wonderfully poetic about one of downtown South Milwaukee’s most pedestrian-friendly days happening during the annual Cheaterama car show.

For an afternoon, our downtown becomes a place where people take over. Neighbors gather and catch up. People stroll down the middle of the street. Kids wander. Friends stop and talk. Pedestrians take priority.

And suddenly, people are walking several blocks — distances many might never consider walking on a normal day.

That’s the interesting part. Change the way a street feels, and people change the way they use it. When a street is comfortable, welcoming and full of life, we walk farther. We linger longer. We notice our neighbors. We become part of what’s happening around us.

Cheaterama is a beloved South Milwaukee tradition, and we love that it brings so many people downtown. The cars are what bring the crowd, but the people and the connections between them are what make the day special.

It’s a pretty great reminder that our streets can be more than places to drive and park. They can be places to gather, connect and build community.

Enjoy Cheaterama!

Wow. Already our third annual Learn How to Ride: Freedom on Wheels Travel Training with MCTS, and once again, we’re leav...
08/21/2026

Wow. Already our third annual Learn How to Ride: Freedom on Wheels Travel Training with MCTS, and once again, we’re leaving this event feeling incredibly grateful for our neighbors and our community.

This year, 20 neighbors joined us to learn the ins and outs of riding our Milwaukee County Transit System. Their reasons for coming were as varied as the people themselves.

“I’ve got jury duty in a few weeks” — "I attended last year, and could use a refresher" — “I haven’t ridden the bus in 50 years.”

Some were regular riders. Some were simply curious. And for one very special passenger, it was a baby’s very first bus ride.

Together, we circled the South Shore, visiting Cudahy, Milwaukee, our airport and Oak Creek while learning how to ride, navigate routes, pay our fare and discover all the places transit can take us.

We dodged a few raindrops, shared some laughs and, most importantly, experienced the freedom that public transit can provide. The freedom to get where you need to go. To travel independently. To stay connected to your community and the wider region, whether you’re seven months old, 70 years old or somewhere in between.

And every year, this event reminds us why Strong Towns South Milwaukee exists in the first place. It’s an inspiring spark. Twenty neighbors showing up, learning something new and discovering a little more of what’s possible in their own community.

That’s the kind of good we want to bring into the City of South Milwaukee. Not just talking about a stronger community, but creating opportunities for people to experience it together.

The bus really does bring us together.

A huge thank-you to our MCTS Travel Trainer, Ludys, and our Bus Operator, Greg, for sharing your knowledge and making the day so welcoming. And thank you to the South Milwaukee Public Library for being our starting and ending point and for helping make opportunities like this successful.

We’re grateful to everyone who came along for the ride. Looking forward to 2027!

08/21/2026

Couldn’t agree more, which is why we’re hosting our third annual Learn How to Ride: Freedom on Wheels Travel Training with MCTS event this afternoon. Join us a 1 p.m. at the South Milwaukee Public Library.

Speeding remains a serious threat to safe mobility.Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety highlights a trou...
08/20/2026

Speeding remains a serious threat to safe mobility.

Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety highlights a troubling disconnect in drivers’ attitudes toward speeding: people recognize that speeding is dangerous, yet many continue to see it as acceptable in everyday driving.

And the consequences are real. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that speeding was involved in nearly 30% of motor vehicle traffic fatalities.

Speeding is not harmless. It is not just a matter of personal driving style. When we normalize it, people walking, biking, riding transit, and driving all pay the price. It’s not okay.

Quick reminder about Learn How to Ride: Freedom on Wheels Travel Training with MCTS happening this Friday, Aug. 21 from ...
08/19/2026

Quick reminder about Learn How to Ride: Freedom on Wheels Travel Training with MCTS happening this Friday, Aug. 21 from 1-3 p.m. in partnership with the South Milwaukee Public Library! Free and family-friendly, we hope to see you there.

America is getting older. That means more of us are going to be walking with bodies that simply can't withstand a collis...
08/18/2026

America is getting older. That means more of us are going to be walking with bodies that simply can't withstand a collision with a 4,000-pound vehicle.

Our streets need to account for that reality. Let’s design them for people, with slower speeds, shorter crossings, better visibility, and more room for error.

What if every playground was designed as a little piece of the neighborhood ecosystem?Trees for shade. Native plants for...
08/17/2026

What if every playground was designed as a little piece of the neighborhood ecosystem?

Trees for shade. Native plants for pollinators. Natural materials for play. Spaces that are cooler, greener, and more inviting.

Greening our elementary playgrounds isn’t a luxury. It’s good placebuilding.

We need to be doing this in the School District of South Milwaukee.

08/17/2026

THE BENCH IS BACK! Thank you for returning the bus bench to Stop 458! We’re glad to see it back where it belongs—supporting neighbors.

At some point, you start defending the thing holding you hostage.
08/16/2026

At some point, you start defending the thing holding you hostage.

This one has us thinking. Should parking in Milwaukee County Parks be free?Parks is once again considering charging for ...
08/15/2026

This one has us thinking. Should parking in Milwaukee County Parks be free?

Parks is once again considering charging for parking at some of its busiest locations. The proposal would start with a relatively small number of high-traffic parking spaces, with the revenue helping maintain parking infrastructure and potentially funding things like trails and a lakefront shuttle.

From a Strong Towns perspective, there’s an interesting question here: why should parking be the one part of our transportation system that we pretend is free?

Parking lots aren't free to build. They aren't free to plow, maintain or repave. In fact, Milwaukee County Parks has spent roughly $23 million rebuilding parking lots since 2018—and the park system is facing a deferred maintenance backlog of more than $500 million.

Meanwhile, people arriving by car often receive that infrastructure at no direct cost, while the cost is spread across everyone who pays county taxes. That's particularly worth considering when roughly 40% of Milwaukee County residents don't drive.

There's also an important connection to Milwaukee County's own equity and climate goals. If we say we want a transportation system that works for people regardless of whether they own a car (and one that reduces our dependence on driving) it makes sense to look critically at how we subsidize and prioritize automobile infrastructure. At the same time, revenue from parking could help support trails, transit connections and other investments that give people more choices about how they get around.

So here's our question for South Milwaukee:

Would you support paid parking in Milwaukee County Parks if the revenue helped maintain and improve the parks themselves?

And more specifically: would you support it if some of that money helped pay for long-overdue infrastructure improvements at Grant Park?

———

Urban Milwaukee deserves a lot of credit for digging into this proposal and bringing the details to light. We’ll share their excellent original reporting in the comments. Give it a read before weighing in.

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