Winter weather conditions make driving difficult in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. And for pedestrians, it's much worse, especially given the volume of traffic around Penn's campus.
The 38th Street crossings near campus are particularly treacherous due to the lack of pedestrian crossing signals.
Those crossing the four-lane artery through University City are particularly at risk, given the number of cars that turn in various directions at the intersections with Walnut, Chestnut and Spruce streets.
It is encouraging, then, that the University and the Undergraduate Assembly are working to pressure the city of Philadelphia to install crossing signals at the major intersections.
Last March, a College sophomore spent three days in the hospital with injuries sustained when he was struck by a car traveling at 40 mph on 38th Street.
Countless other accidents are narrowly avoided each week at these intersections.
Proper traffic signals must be installed to ensure the safety of those who walk and drive around campus. Red and green lights are insufficient when there are turn lanes coupled with a large number of pedestrians.
Senior Facilities Planner Dan Garofalo said earlier this week that additional signals may not be added until the end of 2005 or later. This is unacceptable.
Simple traffic signals are not difficult to install, especially considering that this is a problem that the city of Philadelphia should have solved a long time ago.
A few lights would go a long way toward making our intersections friendly to pedestrians.
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