How does taking away 10 of the former 18 speed bumps protect us? This is a question that has been on my mind since I came back to campus. I understand that it is more convenient for drivers and easier on our cars, but with the high percentage of foot traffic is it really safe to take away that many speed bumps? In short, yes. However, that depends on the willingness of the drivers and pedestrians to follow the rules. “I’ve seen students bottom out and sparks fly,” said Phil Jerome, the director of campus safety. Both Jerome and Steve Yaw, the director of the physical plant, agreed that many of the speed bumps were ineffective, hard on vehicles, and difficult to maintain with the snow plow damage they receive in the winter so they were removed. The speed bumps that remain on campus are in the parking areas and places of high pedestrian traffic. With less speed bump, however, it has become easier to speed. Campus safety has a plan to enforce the 10mph limit all around campus. Jerome says they have been able to time out between certain points around campus, and will know if you are speeding, and they plan to enforce more of the traffic violations this year. Everyone, both drivers and pedestrians, need to pay closer attention to where the crosswalks are on campus, and respect them. Pedestrians are given the right of way, and drivers need to yield. “The old days of campus safety are gone! It’s a new day,” says Jerome. They have a plan and intend to enforce it. I asked both Jerome and Yaw about the hill behind Sailor Hall (which now has no speed bumps), and if it was a concern during the winter with all the black ice that forms? Yaw said, “If drivers comply with the posted campus speed limit of 10 mph there shouldn’t be any issues.” Jerome went into a little more detail, saying that they will need to do a better job in salting the roads, and that pedestrians need to use the crosswalk and keep both eyes peeled.
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How does taking away 10 of the former 18 speed bumps protect us? This is a question that has been on my mind since I came back to campus. I understand that it is more convenient for drivers and easier on our cars, but with the high percentage of foot traffic is it really safe to take away that many speed bumps? In short, yes. However, that depends on the willingness of the drivers and pedestrians to follow the rules. “I’ve seen students bottom out and sparks fly,” said Phil Jerome, the director of campus safety. Both Jerome and Steve Yaw, the director of the physical plant, agreed that many of the speed bumps were ineffective, hard on vehicles, and difficult to maintain with the snow plow damage they receive in the winter so they were removed. The speed bumps that remain on campus are in the parking areas and places of high pedestrian traffic. With less speed bump, however, it has become easier to speed. Campus safety has a plan to enforce the 10mph limit all around campus. Jerome says they have been able to time out between certain points around campus, and will know if you are speeding, and they plan to enforce more of the traffic violations this year. Everyone, both drivers and pedestrians, need to pay closer attention to where the crosswalks are on campus, and respect them. Pedestrians are given the right of way, and drivers need to yield. “The old days of campus safety are gone! It’s a new day,” says Jerome. They have a plan and intend to enforce it. I asked both Jerome and Yaw about the hill behind Sailor Hall (which now has no speed bumps), and if it was a concern during the winter with all the black ice that forms? Yaw said, “If drivers comply with the posted campus speed limit of 10 mph there shouldn’t be any issues.” Jerome went into a little more detail, saying that they will need to do a better job in salting the roads, and that pedestrians need to use the crosswalk and keep both eyes peeled.
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