Upgraded crosswalk has mixed reviews
Utah State University’s upgraded intersection on 700 has students and administrators divided on whether the crosswalk has been effective. Facilitates and USU Police say that jaywalking, timeliness and safety have been improved by the upgrade, while several students say the opposite.
“We are very happy with the additions to the crosswalk, and it seems to be working well,” USU Police Chief Kent Harris said.
In previous years, the crosswalk, which runs on one side from the USU Credit Union to the HPER, was just a walkway for students to cross 700 street from one side of campus to the other. Now, it is a fully functioning intersection equipped with traffic lights and prompters that tell pedestrians when to cross the street.
“I do think it serves a purpose, but it’s frustrating that they took out another crosswalk by the fieldhouse for the upgrade,” USU senior Kaylyn Patenaude said. “Plus, it doesn’t really help with jaywalking.”
Sam Walker, a junior at USU, agreed with Patenaude. “It doesn’t seem like people really pay attention to the crosswalk,” Walker said. As Walker is speaking, several students walk across the intersection, despite the prompter blaring a ‘no crossing’ warning to pedestrians.
Harris does not share the students’ opinions.
“Before the upgrade, we would actually get more jaywalking complaints,” Harris said. “In fact, we think that taking out the other crosswalk by the fieldhouse has forced students to use the intersection and be mindful of their surroundings.”
However, Walker, Patenaude and Jenni (a junior at USU) all agree that the removal of the crosswalk by the fieldhouse has been an inconvenience.
“It’s more time consuming to have to walk all the way up to the USU Credit Union and wait for the light,” Jenni said. “It gets too busy, but I guess in theory its ok.”
Harris said that, although there have been no complaints, there also hasn’t been an increase in police presence to monitor the situation. However, Harris is still satisfied with the system.
“I went out there personally one day to watch the interval between times,” Harris said. “Cars were defiantly yielding to pedestrians.”
Harris said the one drawback is that there have been complaints about people stopping their vehicles in red zones and getting in the way of cyclists.
Harris also said there has been no new data concerning the crosswalk. Without accidents or complaints, there is not much data for the USU police to use.
Senior Sierra Brinkerhoff said the intersection has helped her as a driver. “Before the intersection I used to drive down 700 and forget that there was even a walkway for humans to cross the street,” Brinkerhoff said. “Also, I used to see kids walk right out in front of the buses. Now it seems like they obey the traffic lights.”
Even though some students believe the upgraded crosswalk has ‘slowed things down a bit,’ Jim Huppi, a landscape architect for USU’s Facilities Planning, Design and Construction says the new system has actually increased timeliness for both people and busses.
“This really has helped students get to class quicker,” Huppi said. “Before the crosswalk was upgraded, busses with students would get backed up.”
Huppi also said that the previous walkway put the Cache Valley Transit busses and aggie shuttles behind schedule for at least 10 minutes, as students would continue to cross without having to yield to cars.
“Overall, this has increased safety and efficiency,” Huppi said.
Huppi says that the new upgrades are phase one in the USU Transportation Master Plan. Phase two in the master plan will begin in the next few years, with possible roundabouts being added.
“You will see the streets changed to some extent,” Huppi said. “There are great needs for roundabouts at certain places.”