While walking to class every day, the same thought crosses my mind. Am I going to be run over today? My worst fear is crossing the street by the Northrop mall area and being struck by a bicyclist. I can envision my book bag flying through the air, the biker losing control and hitting someone else. This would be incredibly embarrassing. Sadly, this has happened to many students.
Students walk to class every day. By far, the people who walk outnumber the people who ride bikes; still, pedestrians are the ones in danger. Bicyclists ride in the grass, on the sidewalk and in the middle of the street. The street is where the number of accidents is likely to elevate if the school does not make some changes. Students who ride bikes through the street generally travel at high speeds. When the students who walk decide to cross the street, they meet the challenge of getting across safely and within the hour. Traffic is so tight that crossing the street is now a miracle. It is becoming a time-consuming, perilous feat.
Not only are the pedestrians in danger, but the bicyclists as well. Earlier this week while riding the campus bus, I heard the driver honk the horn. I looked up and noticed a student riding his bike in the middle of the street. He had no idea the bus was behind him until the driver laid on the horn. He should have been paying closer attention, but this is not totally the biker’s fault as he had nowhere else to ride except the road. There was no path and the sidewalk was far too crowded. Many other students have the same problem every day.
The University needs to realize the problem with its lack of bike paths. This problem has been going on for many years, and no one seems to address it. Every year the traffic increases, and one of these days someone is going to pay for someone else’s laziness. There are only three major efficient bike paths on campus: one on the West Bank, another on the Washington Avenue Bridge, and finally, the path on University Avenue. There are only these three paths, when students need so many more. The resolution to this problem would not be a difficult task to unravel, but it continues to go unresolved. I fear that without some major changes, people might get hurt. A simple bike path around the campus would solve many tribulations and free up the congestion. So why is the bike and pedestrian war still going on? This is something that we need to ask school officials. It is time for students to come together and let officials know we are fed up. Crossing the street should not be a challenging struggle for survival. A transformation needs to occur within our campus, starting with newer, more efficient bike paths.
