The donation includes a traffic signal cabinet, signal head and two accessible pedestrian crosswalk buttons designed to help people with disabilities safely cross the street. This type of equipment is commonly installed at roadway intersections to manage both vehicle flow and pedestrian safety.
"We are truly grateful to TAPCO for this gift which will be used in classroom instruction with our civil engineering students," said Xiao Qin, professor and director of UWM's IPIT. "This gift is a great example of industry partnering with UWM to support student learning and advance community safety."
One of the highlights is the SWARCO McCain 352i ATC Cabinet, a compact but powerful traffic control box that manages traffic lights and other signals. It’s designed to handle complex setups without extra wiring or additional cabinets and is ready for smart technologies such as connected roads and autonomous vehicles.
"Safe and reliable transportation for the traveling public cannot be possible without the expertise and knowledge of traffic engineers and technicians in the field,” said Lindsay Harvey, Senior ITS Development Manager at TAPCO. “The technology available today is moving at a faster pace than ever, and TAPCO is proud to have this opportunity to share it with UWM engineering students for enhanced learning. We know many of the graduates of UWM stay in Wisconsin, so we hope this investment helps promote a future of improved mobility and safety for our community."
The donation also features the iDS/iNS Series Accessible Pedestrian Signals, which provide audible cues (beeps or spoken messages) and tactile feedback (vibrations) to indicate when it’s safe to cross. These signals make intersections more accessible and safer for vulnerable road users, including people who are vision impaired or have other disabilities.