Officers will target traffic violations in neighborhoods, parkways

The Wauwatosa Police Department is putting two new traffic grants to use to make neighborhoods and parkways safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Officers on bicycles and motorcycles will be watching out for speeders in areas that residents tend to use for recreation. They will also stop and speak to children on aspects of bicycle safety, said Lt. Tim Sharpee.

With spring soccer season under way, officers will be paying close attention to the Menomonee River Parkway between Swan Boulevard and Harwood Avenue, a stretch that sees cars lining both sides of the street and children walking to and from vehicles.

Come mid-June when school lets out for the summer, officers will also target neighborhoods where kids are likely to be riding bicycles.

The $4,000 in grants were awarded by the state in an effort to eliminate vehicle-pedestrian accidents. Officers will be targeting vehicles that speed, don't follow traffic signs or streetlights and other violations in areas where pedestrians and bicyclists are present. Because the grant is not a significant dollar amount, the project will be supplemented by paid on-duty officers throughout the summer

The department is also relying heavily on residents' complaints about where they see speeding vehicles in their neighborhoods, Sharpee said.