Each day, dozens of ASU people narrowly miss becoming statistics in some dusty, DMV file that lists car/pedestrian accidents. Because of that phrase, "narrowly miss," there are no real numbers, but I would wager small sums of money (T.A.'s don't make large sums) that I would get a stuffed inbox if I asked everyone to write me who has had a close call with a speeding, red-light-running, cell-phone-talking, pedestrian-ignoring driver right off-campus.
When will Tempe re-awaken to the fact that ASU and its more than 50,000 citizens deserve at least the same consideration as however many upscale tourists and yuppies can be coerced into spending their money on over-priced goods and services on Mill Avenue?
University Drive's intersections with College, Forest, and Myrtle avenues are surely among the busiest pedestrian crossings in the Valley. The vast majority of people crossing at these three intersections are ASU faculty, staff and students going to and from parking lots, eateries and other businesses that cater to their daily needs.
I spent an hour one recent weekday standing at University and College just watching traffic, pedestrian and mobile, through the intersection. Four drivers, clearly and purposely, sped through the intersection long after the light had become red. That's four potential killers — two of whom were talking on cell phones — whose personal business is more important than the lives of anyone else on the road.
Multiply those four times by the number of hours the campus is in full swing each day, and you can only be amazed that some unlucky ASU citizen hasn't been turned into a statistic already. I'm not even including the dozens of cars that either sped through the intersection on a borderline red.
Sitting at the College Street Deli recently, we saw two girls nearly run over by another brainless, inconsiderate individual who decided to dart around the city bus that had stopped at the crosswalk to let the girls pass. This idiot sped up and pulled around the bus, nearly hitting the girls, just to get into the parking lot 15 feet away.
But what's a city to do?
After all, they're only college students, staff or faculty. For the most part, they aren't upscale customers of the upscale shops and businesses on Mill Ave. City planners can spend thousands of dollars making Mill Ave. pedestrian-friendly, but anybody walking on any other street in town just isn't worth the effort.
We can spend millions on a lake in the middle of a drought-stricken desert and trying to con voters into approving a stadium for a team that can't even fill a phone booth, but beefing up pedestrian protection won't get a dime.
A city that truly cares about the safety of all its citizens would install red-light cameras at all University intersections and crosswalks regularly used by members of the ASU community. Scottsdale recently reported 600 violations at one intersection in the first weekend of operation. Even if you don't care about saving life and limb, those tickets are bound to bring in a lot of money.
A city that truly cares would put low-profile speed bumps on all side streets feeding into University between Rural Road and Mill. A city that truly cares would lower the speed limit through the University area to 25 mph. That caring city and its leaders would take some or all of these steps to save their citizens before the carnage starts. They wouldn't wait until the body count rises.
Hopefully, I won't have to say, "I told you so."
Terry Moore is a graduate English student. Reach him at limerick@asu.edu.
