“Anger On The Roads Over New University Crossing” – The Tribune, 31^st August 2018

Except from this article; “MOTORISTS stuck in long lines of traffic were confused and angered yesterday by the newly installed HAWK pedestrian signal crosswalk on University Drive.

As several students have been hit crossing the street between the Michael Eldon Building and the main University of The Bahamas campus, officials said it adds a safety mechanism for students who need to cross the street.

But because the new system’s traffic light does not ever change to green to signal when they could go, some driver did not know if and when it was safe to drive through the crossing.

Others did not acknowledge the system’s flashing lights and drove through the pedestrian’s markings as some students were crossing.

On the other hand, most students were not using the system properly and did not wait for the ten second system countdown for the walk signal.

The chaos this created yesterday led many motorists to voice their frustrations and honk their horns, telling reporters they had no idea how the new system was to work.

Generally, they all agreed this would create a daily nightmare in the area.”

I find it disheartening that in this day and age we are even having this conversation of how do we get university across the street safely and if my commentary seems to be insensitive then maybe it is supposed to be.

I have always found this area to be an area to avoid when the university was in session because the entire situation could make the most ‘saved’ lose their religion because it is as if the university students treat that section of street as if it is ‘pedestrian only’, having no consideration for motorists, so there is already a certain level of animosity between the driving public and the students and the only way that I feel that this situation can be resolved is by the students first having some common sense on how to use a crosswalk in the first place because until they are able to grasp the concept of how to use a simple crosswalk; the more advanced system of HAWK (High-Intensity Activated crosswalk) is lost on them, as it has already been reported that there is some level of confusion on how the system works.

“As several students have been hit crossing the street…”? Really? I don’t mean to sound insensitive, or maybe I do, but even the ‘potcake’ has seemed to figure out a way to safety cross the street but then many of them are running when they see a chance to get across ,so could this be the solution?  Does the University of The Bahamas have to introduce a course on how to cross the street; “Crossing the Street 100 – How to Safely Cross the street”

Before I leave, driving down Carmichael Road this morning I saw a school child attempting to cross the street where there is NO crosswalk; she came to a STOP, waited until the traffic STOPPED and HUSTLED across the street; maybe I should have videotaped it for the university students.

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