Dear Lawrence Community,
Two weeks ago a member of our community was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident at the intersection of College Avenue and Lawe Street. The injured member of our community has since been released from the hospital and police have arrested a suspect. In response we have urgently asked the City of Appleton to accelerate long-discussed changes to the College Avenue and Lawe crossings. The City and Lawrence have implemented a number of changes over the past several years. But it is clear that crossing College Avenue continues to be a hazard for pedestrians.
Some of the changes we have requested have already been made, and there are more to come. Last week, the City installed new crosswalk paint in the Lawe Street crosswalks (running east-west), and if weather conditions allow, a similar treatment will be applied to the College Avenue crosswalks (running north-south) in early November. In the coming weeks, a new push button-activated warning light system will be installed in the mid-block crossings on College Avenue to reduce false activations of the lights. The City also plans a retrofit of many of the overhead street lights from Drew Street through Meade Street as well as those on Lawe Street. This change is anticipated to light crossings more effectively.
Lawrence has taken additional steps to improve visibility at the intersection of College Avenue and Lawe Street. The grounds crew has been pruning trees near intersections. Planning is underway to add pedestrian lighting at key points in the approaches to College Avenue. The first of these lights are planned for the southeast corner of College and Lawe. We are also exploring partnerships with local organizations to provide community education on driver responsibility and pedestrian rights.
It is clear that even when crossing in the crosswalks with traffic signals in our favor, we are not completely protected from inattentive drivers. We must continue to be vigilant when crossing any street. If you have suggestions, questions, or concerns about pedestrian safety, please direct them to Assistant to the President Jake Woodford (Jacob.a.woodford@lawrence.edu; or 920-832-6850).
Yours,
Mark