Traffic

When you think about the University, chances are you think about the horrendous traffic and the blatant disregard for pedestrian safety. In recent years the University has made inroads to resolve some of the issues faced by student commuters and off campus residents. These include the crimson ride bus system, new crosswalks, and conversion of heavily trafficked areas to be more pedestrian friendly. Although the University has made inroads in this area, it is evident that there is much more that could be done to promote pedestrian safety.
One of the main concerns of pedestrians on campus is the disregard that motorists show for them. Pedestrians on campus are frequently put at risk by motorists purposely running traffic lights and stop signs. As a pedestrian, your main concern shouldn’t have to be making sure motorists around you are paying attention to the road. Even though pedestrians are often the victims, motorists are not always to blame for the accidents that happen when both parties aren’t paying attention.
Motorists are not always the bad guys when it comes to accidents on and around campus, often it can simply be chalked up to poor enforcement of traffic laws. Every day someone is violating a traffic law on campus, but how often are these violations punished? We learn the “rules of the road” when we are first beginning to drive, but as we get older we follow a looser and peer driven guideline as to proper etiquette on the road. Everyone is aware that the campus supports a police department, but most people don’t have a healthy respect of the power and ability of these individuals to punish violators.
The simplest and most cost effective route to solve this problem is better enforcement. The campus police department could easily crack down on offenders, which would have the dual purpose of stopping violators and dissuading others to emulate the violation. Simply put, if the university police department would maintain a consistent policy on traffic violations, students would be less inclined to abuse the law.
It is my opinion that in order to promote the safety of all, some are going to have to serve as an example. The university has made tremendous effort in making the campus a safer place to be, whether walking to class or coming back from the bars, it isn’t enough to simply stop at adequate. If we want a safer and more pedestrian friendly campus we need to make it so, and the only way to do that is to step up the law enforcement of violations.