MSOE civil engineering students partnered with MilWALKee Walks, a volunteer pedestrian advocacy group, to conduct "crosswalk actions" and bring attention to pedestrian right-of-way at crosswalks.

As part of the CVE 3601 “Principles of Transportation Engineering” course, they brought visibility to pedestrian safety, helped educate drivers about the pedestrian right of way at marked and unmarked crosswalks, and helped pedestrians feel more comfortable in crossing the street. 

According to the City of Milwaukee’s 2019 Pedestrian Safety Plan there were an average 458 pedestrian crashes each year from 2011-2017 in the city. Civil engineers can play a role in increasing pedestrian safety through their designs.

Recognizing this, students in MSOE’s “Principles of Transportation Engineering” class are learning how transportation engineers must consider:

• All modes of transportation.
• The importance of including all users of the roadway, including pedestrians ranging from babies in strollers to older adults, visually and physically impaired pedestrians, bicyclists, and other forms of micro mobility such as scooters and skateboards.
• The importance of human behavior in transportation engineering.

Crosswalk actions gave students the opportunity to engage with the community and become responsible leaders—all part of developing the MSOE Mindset.