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Speedbusters: Forest Home Avenue

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Speedbusters: Forest Home Avenue

By Katie DeLong

MILWAUKEE - Two neighborhoods: a whole lot of speeders. TODAY’S TMJ4’s Speedbusters recently headed to Forest Home Avenue in Milwaukee. They are two Milwaukee neighborhoods with one similar problem: “Guys will just fly down this street,” Eric Elliott said. “40, 41,” Olstad said, as cars sped by. At 68th Street and Forest Home, the speed limit is 30 miles an hour. Drive only a few miles away on Forest Home to the 3300 block of 51st and you find the same speed limit…and the same speeds. “41,” Olstad said. “Both of them going pretty fast,” Olstad said. “I’m afraid to go to my truck sometimes to go around to get into my door. If there’s cars coming, I won’t budge. I’ll stand there,” Ben Petaschnick said. Ben and his wife JoAnn have lived at their house on the narrow 51st Street for the past five years. Jay Olstad: “In those 5 years, has it always been bad?” “Always. There’s never been a time when it wasn’t bad,” Ben said. Same goes back at 68th Street. Just as Speedbusters was leaving, they caught a guy going 48. The speeds continue, and so do the worries. “44,” Olstad said. “All it would take is one kid to run out there and there’s no way they can stop in time,” Elliott said. Speedbusters passed along their complaints to Milwaukee police, but their beef is with drivers. “I don’t want to see somebody get seriously hurt and then all of a sudden everyone takes notice. Let’s fix the problem now,” Ben said. These residents want to drive the speeders out…leaving behind peace of mind. If you don’t see police in your neighborhood, the only way to get them is to call police. If you want Speedbusters to check out your street, email us at speedbusters@todaystmj4.com.