As part of the Peer-to-Peer University Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Education and Outreach Program, Dr. Can Cui visited the University of Central Florida to conduct in-person safety education and learn more about students’ everyday transportation experiences on and around campus.
UCF’s large campus supports a variety of transportation options, including walking, bicycling, campus shuttle services, and shared Spin e-scooters. During the visit, Dr. Cui spoke directly with students who use bicycles and other micromobility devices, discussing safe riding behaviors, helmet use, appropriate riding and parking locations, interactions with pedestrians, and the importance of following campus speed restrictions.
The outreach was particularly relevant to UCF’s shared e-scooter environment. Spin scooters operate on campus, with reduced-speed zones in areas with high pedestrian activity. The in-person conversations gave students an opportunity to discuss how they use shared micromobility for short trips between classrooms, residence halls, parking areas, and other campus destinations.
Dr. Cui also met with members of the UCF Undergraduate Admissions student team to discuss transportation issues that may affect incoming students. The conversation covered how new students learn campus routes, choose among walking, biking, shared e-scooters, and campus shuttles, and become familiar with campus traffic and micromobility rules.
The group also discussed opportunities to incorporate concise transportation safety messages into campus tours, orientation activities, student ambassador conversations, and other communications with newly admitted students. Potential topics included where students may safely ride and park e-scooters, how to navigate pedestrian-heavy areas, when to use campus shuttle services, and how to safely share campus space with people walking, biking, and using mobility devices.
The visit also highlighted the broader transportation environment in the Orlando region, where shared micromobility, conventional campus shuttles, and emerging technologies such as autonomous shuttle demonstrations in Lake Nona are becoming increasingly visible. These developments reinforce the importance of preparing students to understand and safely interact with a growing range of transportation modes. Beep’s autonomous shuttles operate on fixed routes in Lake Nona and are separate from UCF’s main-campus shuttle system.
Through direct conversations with students and campus partners, the Peer-to-Peer Program gathered valuable perspectives on student travel behavior while reinforcing practical safety practices for walking, bicycling, and shared micromobility use.
