A proposed intersection with traffic lights that would replace the traffic circle at Bogue Street and Wilson Road would better control the flow of pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles, administrators say.
As part of the 2020 Vision plan, Wilson Road between Farm Lane and Conrad Hall and Bogue Street between Shaw Lane and the Veterinary Medical Center parking lot will be reconstructed, adding bicycle lanes and changing the intersection.
The MSU Board of Trustees will vote on an architect and engineer for the project at its meeting Friday.
The proposed reconstruction of the traffic circle to include a traffic light fits with the priorities for pedestrians first, bicycles second and vehicles third, said Jeff Kacos, director of Campus Planning and Administration and chairman of the Campus Infrastructure Planning Work Group.
"While traffic circles are very efficient for moving vehicles, they're not pedestrian-friendly," Kacos said. "(The new light) will mean that pedestrians will be able to cross more easily, and they will be able to get through without going out of their way so much."
The 2020 Vision plan calls for updates to the campus in parking, transportation and buildings, with attention to the environment and available open space. The last time MSU implemented a master plan was in 1966.
MSU police Deputy Chief Mike Rice said he remembers the traffic circle at Wilson Road and Bogue Street from when he was a freshman in 1965.
"It may have been very appropriate for the time it was constructed, but it's not the best solution now," Rice said. "Traffic circles, as I understand, are generally put in locations where there's not a lot of pedestrian traffic, and you want to favor the rapid and efficient movement of vehicles. The traffic has picked up in that area considerably."
The traffic circle at Bogue Street and Shaw Lane would be a better choice for constructing an intersection with a traffic light because it's a busier area, said special education junior Amy Fox.
"I've seen a couple people on bicycles get hit (by cars) at Bogue (Street) and Shaw (Lane)," Fox said. "It gets more traffic flow."
There is not enough land space to make a traffic light intersection at Bogue Street and Shaw Lane because there are five roads that come into the intersection, and it would require extra turn lanes, Kacos said.
The Wilson Road traffic circle seems to work pretty well, said Jamie Irving, a senior in East Asian languages and cultures.
"I'm not opposed to it, if people feel safer with traffic lights," Irving said. "I guess it would be better for people who are walking."
