Looking both ways: a comment on sidewalk safety at CC

Think back to your first visit to Colorado College. Like me, you were probably in high school, excited to tour the beautiful campus, chat with current students about life on at CC and discuss classes with professors. Then imagine that instead of returning home to make your college decision, being airlifted to a Denver hospital in critical condition after being hit by a truck while walking across Cascade. As we all know, that was the living nightmare for a student during our last Open House weekend for prospective students and their families. Unfortunately her story is one of many in the ever-growing annals of crosswalk accidents around our campus. She marks the third student (albeit one prospective) hit on streets around CC this year, on par with the stark average of 2 students hit annually, many resulting in life-threatening injuries. 

As a student body, we must do better. 

Our safety is in our hands. Contrary to popular belief, CC does NOT own any part of Cascade, Cache, Nevada or Uintah, including the medians. Period. Those streets and their crosswalks are city property and each of us are individually responsible for our safety in them. We’re bright, talented students – it’s well within our grasp to take a second to look up from our phones, iPods or conversations to look both ways or simply press the button for the flashing lights (installed by the City, not CC) when crossing the street. Furthermore, riding skateboards and bikes through crosswalks is not only illegal in Colorado, it’s downright dangerous – 50% of all students were on bikes when they were hit. So take a second for your friends’ safety and yours: get off your bike, press the button and look both ways. It’s that simple. 

Still, the City of Colorado Springs can do more improve pedestrian safety around CC. This week I submitted a letter on behalf of the student body urging city officials to expedite their processes for installing flashing lights on Nevada and considering speed bumps on Cascade. But the city and college can only do so much: the onus of crosswalk safety is on us. We cannot tolerate even one more student getting hit. 

*Source for all crosswalk information: The Colorado College Office of Legal Counsel