Streetlights, crosswalks, and public stairways all fell under the spotlight of representatives from Athens and Ohio University as they evaluated pedestrian safety Thursday night.
The tour was initiated by the Joint Police Advisory Council, which combines efforts between campus and city law enforcement, and looked at more than 20 potential areas of improvement, with participants proposing solutions to enhance the safety of city residents and OU students alike.
Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle and Ohio University Police Chief Andrew Powers were in attendance, along with council members, Athens officials and residents. About 15 people attended the tour.
The areas visited were pinpointed once the city heard concerns from private citizens and members of City Council, said Councilman Steve Patterson, D-at large.
“The whole event has been planned for the past two months,” Patterson said. “We reached out to the city the best we could.”
The crosswalk on Richland Avenue between West Green Drive and Oxbow Trail should be a model for well-trafficked crosswalks on campus, said Athens Deputy Service Safety Director Ron Lucas.
Elliot Street and Lasher Avenue are spots throughout Athens that are especially dark, said Athens Service Safety Director Paula Horan-Moseley, who added that lighting problems often can be solved just by trimming nearby trees.
“Tree trimming would do wonders (on Lasher),” Lucas said.
More lighting in these areas close to campus will increase students’ sense of community, said Isaac Smith, Student Senate city and county affairs commissioner.
“I think OU as a whole will benefit if we have people caring about where they live,” Smith said. “There will be less nuisance parties and nuisance behavior.”
The tour also noted poor lighting on stairways off Grosvenor Street, West Washington Street, and Columbia Avenue.
Additional lighting on these stairways is crucial for the safety of students walking to OU, along with schools in the Athens City School District, Patterson said.
Making these improvements and enhancing safety will benefit the city, said City Council President Jim Sands, who added that fixing streetlights is a relatively quick process.
“I would think that within a matter of a few months, we can see some real positive change,” he said.
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