LETTER: Get rid of Champ Drive

Editor,

I am amazed that no one has been killed at the crosswalk between the Taggart Student Center and the LDS Institute. It is a dangerous intersection. Those two buildings are two of the busiest on campus. Many students travel by car between the roundabout and Old Main. Unfortunately, due to the high number of pedestrians using the same space, there gets to be a long wait at that intersection.

I, like many others, was crossing the crosswalk on my bicycle. As I neared the Institute end of the walk, a car decided to push its way through the crowd of pedestrians. Perhaps he didn’t see me, or simply didn’t care. He stepped on the gas and ran right into me, pinning my right leg between his fender and my bike. I made contact with his hood and gave him an angry look. He stopped long enough for me to move myself out of the way, but when I went to talk to him, he drove off, endangering several other pedestrians in the process. I am left with a messed up paint job on my bike and a bruised right leg.

I cannot believe this person would be so inconsiderate as to run into someone, then drive off as soon as the opportunity presented itself. The man actually looked resentful at me for getting in the way of his advance through the crowd.

I am not the only person to have had a near miss or worse at this crossing. I feel it would be in the best interests of everyone concerned to close off Champ Drive to vehicles, or change the layout of the roundabout and Champ Drive area. There are several options, including widening the roundabout and establishing a designated drop off area for personal vehicles. Another option is to extend the crosswalk area south toward Widtsoe Hall, making a wider area for students to cross. If the crosswalk were gated off to all but emergency vehicles, traffic could be routed behind the Institute building along Darwin Ave.

The bottom line is that the crosswalk between the TSC and the Institute is a dangerous area. If the situation is not changed, someone will be seriously hurt or killed, which will result in a lot of trouble and expense for the university. Things need to change!

Don Burger