You may have heard that Milwaukee is one of the safest cities in the US for horses.
But there’s also a lot of horse transport driving in the city, which can take a toll on those animals.
Read moreRead more”I do not believe the city is immune to these issues,” said Dan Glynn, the city’s public works director.
“The safety of horses is of paramount importance.”
Milwaukee is a hub for horse transport in the state, and there are more than 10,000 horses operating in its public parks and on city streets.
But this is not a new problem, Glynn said.
“There’s been a history of horse-related accidents in Milwaukee for quite some time,” he said.
“We’ve had some serious accidents in the past,” Glynn added.
“A couple years ago, a driver lost control of a horse and struck several pedestrians.”
According to Glynn’s office, there were five crashes in 2015 involving the vehicles in the park system, including a fatality.
The city has since put new signs on its parks, including one that outlines how to report any crashes.
Milwaukee has a number of safety regulations for transporting horses, which includes not having the horses in a straight line or riding in a narrow lane.
It’s also against the law to keep horses in hot weather, and any horse not being on a leash must be under a guard or harness.
There are also fines for not providing adequate veterinary care to horses.
If the fines aren’t paid, a person could be cited for littering or failure to pay fines.
There’s also no requirement for the city to install horse-friendly fencing or other barriers around public areas, but that’s something Milwaukee has been working on for years.
“It’s a city of many things,” Glyn said.
Milwaukee has added signs at some intersections that say, “No horses allowed on sidewalks,” and added a sign that says, “If you’re not on a horse, you are not welcome in our city.”
Glynn said the city also is working on a law to regulate how much money horses can be transported in vehicles.
“If you want to take horses from a public park to a public business, that’s your right, but if you want a horse to be taken from a city park to Milwaukee, that is your right as well,” he explained.
“This city has not only an incredible number of horses, but also a very strong tradition of animal-friendly living.
That’s what makes us the safest city in the country.”
Milford, a town in New Jersey, has also been tackling horse transport issues recently, with the city enacting a ban on horse-drawn vehicle (HGV) traffic in July, the New Jersey News & Review reported.
In November, the state announced plans to ban the use of horse trailers in some areas.
“Milford has seen a steady increase in horse-driven vehicle accidents, with more than a dozen fatalities and more than $200,000 in injuries since 2011,” the city said in a statement.
“Since then, the City has adopted a number new safety measures to protect the health and welfare of our residents and the animals who rely on our parks.”
In New Jersey City, there is also a moratorium on HGV activity, which has been in place since 2009.
The ban covers parts of the city and towns, and the city has a team of volunteers on hand to assist residents who need help navigating the new rules.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is also working to get a ban lifted.
The agency says it is working with other states to get the state to implement the ban, which it said would help curb the number of accidents.
“The purpose of the moratorium is to help reduce the risk to life and limb in the communities of New Jersey,” the DEP said in an email.
“In order to do this, the moratorium has the effect of limiting the use and movement of motorized vehicles in New York City and other New Jersey towns.”
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