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Crosswalk eliminated, sky bridge new option |
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Tuesday, 11 September 2007 |
 Appalachian officials sandblasted the Rivers Street crosswalk Thursday, requiring students and faculty to use the new pedestrian bridge. Derek DeSha |
by REBECCA GARDNER
News Reporter
The crosswalk that pedestrians have used on Rivers Street next to the parking deck and the steam plant has been eliminated.
“When
the overhead pedestrian bridge was built, the [NC Department of
Transportation] mandated at that time that the crosswalk had to come
out. It was in the contract that we had to pay to have it removed,”
Director of Parking and Traffic Barry D. Sauls said.
Rivers
Street is under the N.C. DOT jurisdiction, not the university’s
jurisdiction, which is why the university had to sign a contract.
There are other options for students who choose not to take the bridge.
“If students don’t want to use the overhead walkway, which goes to the
parking deck across the street, they can also walk east to Center
Street between [Kerr Scott Hall and John E. Thomas Hall] beside the
tennis court, and cross at the light,” Sauls said. “Students can also
use the tunnels.”
The elimination of the crosswalk poses as an opportunity to control traffic.
“I think the crosswalk was incredibly dangerous and I witnessed many
close calls,” Sauls said. “Any time a crosswalk is not civilized it
equals a recipe for disaster. Traffic sometimes, unfortunately, does
not stop, which creates a really dangerous situation anyway.”
The new bridge will change how pedestrians cross from one side of the road to the other.
Right now, handicapped students in wheel chairs cannot use the overhead walkway until it connects to
the new dining facility, Sauls said.
“It’s going to be a change,” Appalachian State University Police Chief
Gunther E. Doerr said. “Any time there is a change people have to
realize it and do something different and ultimately, if people will
use the new pedestrian bridge it will be a lot safer.”
Students assume cars will stop for them; however, that is not always the case, Doerr said.
“Over the years there have been a number of pedestrians struck on
Rivers Street, including one or two that were using the crosswalk,”
Doerr said.
The bridge was made for safety reasons.
“There is no guarantee of safety except to make sure traffic is cleared
before crossing,” Doerr said. “The key to me, really, is whenever
students are crossing into the street, particularly if there are four
lanes, is to be extra cautious while crossing.”
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