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| A pedestrian attempts to cross Southern Avenue at the northern campus entrance, while a driver makes a left-hand turn. Despite the fact that drivers are usually blamed for driver-pedestrian accidents, the pedestrian is usually at fault. |
Traffic safer than in previous years
Adam Eickerman
Mesa Legend
Anyone who has driven by or walked along the sidewalks bordering the college realizes that the roads are not exactly easy to navigate and they are hectic especially during rush hour.
Surprisingly the Southern and Dobson intersection has experienced only 29 reported accidents during 2003 and 2004 involving minor rear-end collisions, more serious head-on collisions, pedestrian collisions, and bicycle collisions.
Even more surprising is that the intersection is the busiest in Mesa with approximately 76,950 vehicles passing through it every 24 hours.
In a statistical equation, Southern and Dobson only experiences 1.03 crashes per million vehicles that pass through the intersection on a annual basis, according to Daniel Cleavenger, an assistant traffic engineer with the City of Mesa.
Although the statistics are promising, pedestrians have it particularly hard when crossing intersections, especially at Southern and Dobson Roads.
A student was recently struck while trying to use the crosswalk at the intersection that connects the north side of campus with the shopping center on the north side of Southern Ave.
Students and others who utilize the crosswalks know that time is limited through the cross walks, but it may not be enough time for everyone.
For an everyday person it takes about 20-30 seconds to walk across the crosswalks on the major roads surrounding the school, but it does not take too much longer before the traffic light gives the opposing traffic the green signal.
Although it may seem there is a potential problem with crosswalks, it may be because the people who utilize them often do not understand how to use them correctly.
“They (crosswalks) are the most commonly misunderstood. A group of 20 people may have several people who don’t understand, elderly folks especially,” said Cleavenger.
Some of the traffic signals can flash the “don’t walk” signal as soon as most people are only half way through the crosswalk, but Cleavenger assured that this is perfectly normal.
He continued to add that if this happens to an individual, continue walking across, do not stop.
“We will probably never be able to accommodate everyone, but we do the best we can,” said Cleavenger.
In Cleavenger’s 17 years with the city, he says that it is more often than not that the pedestrian is at fault for being involved in an accident.
Although it is not solely up to the pedestrian to keep themselves safe, some of the responsibility does fall on the drivers for not being more cautious around crosswalks.
When people do not use crosswalks is when it becomes a problem.
This is often the case on campus at MCC, according to the Director of College Safety, Steve Corich.
“Crosswalks are everywhere and students cross anywhere and they are partly to blame and people are also frustrated,” said Corich.
Cleavenger suggests that pedestrians make eye contact with the driver before attempting to cross across the crosswalk.
A recent bond that will give Mesa Community College more than $950 million will be only used for the construction of educational buildings and cannot be utilized for any sort of pedestrian bridges to transverse the dangerous roads, said Ron Etter, vice president of Administration Services.
“We have had few and few complaints (throughout Mesa). I have been here 17 years and the past four to five years have had the fewest complaints. I think that we are operating better than ever,” said Clevenger.
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