Milwaukee's Department of Public Works runs cool-pavement pilots on selected residential streets and alleys, applying reflective coatings or lighter aggregate to reduce surface temperatures in heat-vulnerable neighborhoods identified by the Climate and Equity Plan.
Pilot installations are coordinated by DPW Infrastructure Services in partnership with the Office of Environmental Sustainability. Materials include high-albedo seal coats and lighter chip-seal aggregates, paired with monitoring stations to track surface and ambient temperature reductions. Sites are chosen using the climate equity index plus pavement-condition data, focusing on residential blocks rather than arterials. The pilot does not require homeowner action or assessments. Lessons learned feed into citywide pavement specifications and the Climate Plan's heat-island strategy. MMSD permeable-pavement pilots run on a parallel track focused on stormwater capture.
There are no resident penalties; pavement selection is a city capital decision, and homeowners are not assessed special charges for cool-pavement pilots.
See how Milwaukee's cool pavement rules stack up against other locations.
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