MILWAUKEE — There's a Milwaukee woman whose job it is to inspire safer streets for pedestrians one crosswalk at a time.
"I think my message is; let's just be change agents," said Kimberly Watts-Howell, a Crosswalk Ambassador for MilWALKee Walks. "I think if we as a community can come together, we can make changes."
If you take a stroll or a drive past Watts-Howell's home in the Amani neighborhood, she has a row of signs in her front yard that would probably take the surprise out of the fact that she's the new crosswalk ambassador in the city.
"It's something different for me and it's an opportunity for me to show others that no matter what one is faced with, we can always give back," she said.
MilWALKee Walks is a pedestrian advocacy group that trains and mobilizes Milwaukeeans to raise awareness in high-traffic areas. Their goal is to get drivers to slow down and follow the laws in an effort to keep those walking or rolling through the city's streets safe.
"You find a location in the City of Milwaukee and you and other participants will have signs and you will walk the four corners," said Watts-Howell while she explained what her job entails. "Just saying 'Hey, here we are and this is what we would like you to be mindful of."
Just this past weekend, she hosted her first crosswalk day of action in Milwaukee.
"It was actually received very, very well," said Watts-Howell. "We got several honks, several waves from individuals, you know, saying hey nice to see you, and thank you so very much!"
She tells TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins that the job is all about inspiring action and eventually chance.
"There's a saying: "Each one, reach one, teach one," she said. "So, if I can reach one person to say, 'You know what? I'm going to change my mindset, I'm not going to speed through the city streets because there is somebody else I could injure,' that mindset change can be a domino effect."
More than a new gig, this job is about saving lives, creating safer streets, and shifting culture to make Milwaukee's streets safer for all.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
