As the winter winds blow into campus and the first snows cover the ground, MSU students racing and weaving across campus face new challenges to make it to class on time.
Bikers brave the icy streets and pedestrians test their luck in front of approaching traffic. Busses creak and groan with extra passengers who don't wish to face the ferocious elements outside.
From city and campus ordinances to plain common sense, there are rules of the road and some transportation etiquette that can keep some order in the daily chaos as the semester comes to a close.
Two wheelin'
Advertising senior Ryan Post said she's experienced a problem with bikes that race by and nearly clip people as they walk.
"I've almost been run over by a couple of bikes," Post said. "People are really crazy."
It is actually against the law to ride on some sidewalks, said MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor.
Some sidewalks have bike lanes, but are otherwise made for pedestrian use only. If an accident were to occur on a sidewalk involving a bicyclist, the bicyclist would be cited, McGlothian-Taylor said.
Bicyclists are held to the same standards as motor vehicles such as following traffic lights and yielding to pedestrians when riding in bike lanes on roads, she said. Some of the newest bike lanes are located on campus on Red Cedar Road and Kalamazoo Street.
Cars can pose a danger to bicyclists when the "right of way" comes into question and bikes should be walked across roadways.
"Normally, a lot of the bike-car accidents are because bikes are on the sidewalk," said University Traffic Engineer Tom Maleck. This happens because drivers look more at the signs and traffic signals and do not see the bicyclist entering the roadway, he said.
Post, who usually walks, thinks there's no way to improve the problem.
"There are bike trails, but the quickest way is on the sidewalk," she said.
Get on your feet
Family community services senior Meghan Malone, who usually walks between classes, said when she is caught up in the daily rush, she sees confusion and frustration between drivers and pedestrians.
"Pedestrians feel like they have the right of way, and drivers feel like they have the right of way," Malone said.
In most cases pedestrians have the right of way on a college campus, but there are several exceptions to this.
Pedestrians do have the right of way at intersections with unmarked crosswalks and crosswalks without traffic signals, said Maleck, who added he sees drivers fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks constantly.
"We want to change the culture on campus, where motorists yield the right of way to pedestrians," Maleck said.
But whenever there are traffic signals, pedestrians have to wait. If the sign says "Don't Walk" and a pedestrian chooses to cross the intersection, it's a violation, said MSU police Sgt. Randy Holton.
"Pedestrians will walk against the crosswalk signal quite a bit," Holton said.
Holton, who is assigned to patrol on MSU's campus, said officers will issue citations to pedestrians, but it depends on the level of danger caused by the violation.
It's not just good manners anymore that suggest a person walk or ride on the right side of the sidewalk, but actually part of an ordinance that specifically requires it. The rule states if sidewalks are provided, it's illegal to walk on the road.
Holton said he's noticed cell phones and iPods are a big problem in distracting students as they travel.
"Safety is a real concern for us, that's why we're out there enforcing the laws," Holton said. "Safety is a part of being aware of your surroundings."
Catching a ride
If venturing across campus in the bitter cold seems daunting, cramming into a crowded CATA bus could be worse without cooperation from all passengers.
Political science junior Shaunta Haggerty said people are often unaware of how discourteous their habits on the bus are to others around them.
"It's just the cell phones," Haggerty said. "(Students are) not conscience of how loud they are."
To avoid delay, CATA does ask patrons to have the proper fare ready when boarding and to have student ID cards available when paying at the discounted rate. The driver is not required to wait for riders to sit down before moving the bus, so they should move quickly to their seats.
Much of the behavior, such as not blocking empty seats with backpacks and moving to the back of the bus to make more room, are not written rules but are standards that make the ride more enjoyable for everybody, said Pat Gilbert, director of marketing for CATA, in an e-mail.
"Manners on a bus are very much like manners anywhere," Gilbert said. "They're based on common sense things, and they make the lives of all people aboard easier."
Philosophy senior Matt Buss, said he believes most people try to mind their manners most of the time when traveling around campus.
"People on the whole seem relatively courteous," Buss said.
