OPINION: This Is a College, Not a Racetrack

Brady Boynton

He/Him

Contributor

10/22/24

Plymouth State University has tried to make the crosswalks as safe as possible by setting up flashing lights by the crosswalks and putting them in places where they are easily visible. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t be unsafe, especially with these college students who think they are Formula 1 drivers. There are big yellow signs that read ‘yield to pedestrians’. That means if I’m in a crosswalk, then I shouldn’t almost be flattened by a dude in a jacked-up Ford truck. Just because your car is loud, that doesn’t mean you have to hit 40 MPH past the crosswalks on Highland Street.

I think a way to change this is to enforce a lower speed limit around the college’s crosswalks, similar to how the Plymouth grade schools do further up Highland Street. They have a radar that shows people their speed and gives them a sense of how fast they’re currently going. Those radars always make people slow down. Maybe they could add one more on Highland Street, closer to the college. If that doesn’t help and the crosswalks still are as dangerous as they are right now, then maybe it’s a good idea to start ticketing these drivers. It’s a last resort, but we all know the campus police love to give out tickets-I’m sure they’d love to give out a few more.

I understand going fast is fun, but not at the risk of harming others. If you are going to speed, do it in a safer, more open area so you have a better visual of your surroundings. Be mindful of your speed when you are going by a crosswalk, because you never know when somebody is going to walk across the street. This school has done a good job making our campus safe, now you can do your job in making the community safer.

Brady Boynton is a 28’ Independent studies major.