Bicyclists vs. Pedestrians-- It's On!

Photo Credit: Annarbor.com

In light of several cyclist and pedestrian accidents occurring on campus within the last month, many people are worried about how and and when these issues dividing the two dominant modes of transportation will be resolved.

A dilemma for all people

Bicyclists ride on the sidewalk because the street is dangerous:  cars force them too close to the curb and sometimes even run into them, thereby discouraging them to ever go on the street again.

Pedestrians walk on the sidewalk because, well, that’s what they’re supposed to do.

So what is to be done about the matter?

How it’s going to be fixed

Columbus Police have been taking matters into their own hands by handing out citations to “jaywalkers,” better known as pedestrians illegally crossing when the signs says they can’t.

Is this a ridiculous idea or not?

I personally believe that if there are no cars in sight for miles, then it is perfectly alright. However, if I know the minds of college students, that’s definitely not the reason that they are crossing illegally– they are most likely late for class and want to get ahead of the crowds.

It is going to take a lot of effort from students and bicyclists to follow the rules.

OSU president Gordon Gee has assembled a ‘Task Force” that has put signs on busy streets of campus reminding students to follow safety and traffic laws, whether it be by bike, by foot, or by car.

The concept of this group is rather vague and it is uncertain as to what exactly it is doing to attack the problem at hand.

On Friday afternoon, there was a Campus-Wide Traffic Safety event held to promote safety regarding all modes of transportation. Volunteers were stationed around different areas of the university, passing out flyers and talking with students about safety.

Whether or not this event was helpful to students is the answer that many students, including myself, will discover in the coming weeks.

Hopefully, these events will shed some awareness that just because you are young, it does not mean you are invincible.