Crossing the street on campus may be getting a little safer.
In response to concerns of students and other MSU community members about crosswalk and bicycle traffic safety, the MSU police department has stepped up enforcement on campus.
“If the community is saying they’re concerned for their safety and that we need more enforcement at the crosswalks and intersections, we’re going to do that,” said MSU police Sgt. Maureen Ramsey.
The increase in traffic patrol will affect not only motorists on campus but also pedestrians and bicyclists. Every person who comes to campus is obligated to follow the rules of traffic safety, Ramsey said.
Dietetics freshman Melissa DeFore disagrees.
“Nobody really pays much attention to when they should cross (the street), they just go when they can,” she said. “Sometimes you just have to go and you shouldn’t be punished for it.”
Defore’s sister, studio art freshman Jennifer DeFore, said she understands why the increased enforcement is necessary but doesn’t agree with the way police intend to handle the situation.
“It’s for people’s protection,” she said. “It’s something good to enforce, but I don’t think ticketing is necessarily the way to go.”
The police cited four traffic laws they plan to watch more closely for violations, including motor vehicle drivers yielding the right of way to pedestrians in a crosswalk when there is no yield or stop sign and pedestrians obeying pedestrian-control signs saying walk or don’t walk.
MSU police also plan to enforce areas where pedestrians may only cross the street in marked crosswalks and motorists must yield the right of way to any pedestrian lawfully using the crosswalk.
A crosswalk is defined as any portion of the road or street distinctly marked for pedestrian crossing by lines or other indications on the surface, police said.
Whether or not tickets are handed out to pedestrians and bicyclists violating the laws will be left to the discretion of the officer, MSU police Capt. Dave Trexler said. But the brunt of the tickets the patrol increase creates will likely fall to motorists.
“A lot of people (who) like to turn right on red don’t stop for pedestrians,” Interior design freshman Valerie Brown said. “I don’t like the idea of increased ticketing when people aren’t doing things that are unsafe, but in this case it’s a good idea.”
MSU police patrol Capt. Dale Metts said the crosswalks on campus have been a concern for a number of years. There have been several serious accidents and near misses.
“There is a lot of pedestrian traffic during class break times and it’s dangerous with all the cars zipping through here,” he said. “We’re just trying to slow them down and make it a little safer for everybody.”
The real push behind increasing the traffic patrol around campus follows this summer’s redesigning of many of the intersections and traffic circles.
“We’ve done some upgrading in the way we’ve marked crosswalks and we’re looking to upgrade safety in those areas,” Trexler said.
