Despite the fact that the “X” shaped crosswalk at Court and Union Streets rests on its 50th year of directing traffic, some locals argue that it has reached an expiration date.
The “X” shaped crosswalk was originally installed 50 years ago due to what might have been an increase in pedestrian traffic in the region, Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl said.
He suspects the city did not hold a ribbon cutting to premiere the crosswalk and said the complaints regarding its existence have been few, and are generally limited to comments on the crosswalk impeding the flow of traffic.
Nate Hayes, general manager of Whit’s Frozen Custard, which sits on the corner of Court and Union, said the “X” design promotes jaywalking.
“Jaywalking at the crosswalk is a serious problem, period,” Hayes said. “It’s infuriating, someone’s going to get hurt. Here’s an idea: start enforcing it. People don’t even look at the lights.”
Hayes believes the striped crosswalk leading to the Athens County Municipal Courthouse, 8 E. Washington, promotes safer practices for pedestrians and drivers alike. He added that the horizontal stripes or “crosshatching” of the crosswalk at the Courthouse should also be implemented in areas with heavier traffic flow to alert drivers to the approaching pedestrian crossing.
Hayes said he and other co-workers keep a tally of drivers going the wrong way down Union Street.
“In this past summer, we had 163 (drivers) go the wrong way down Union Street. We’re already at 25 for just this semester,” he said. “From (our location), we get the best perspective of their faces if it’s someone going the wrong way, and it’s pretty funny — but also dangerous.”
Wiehl said that the city does not have the “manpower” to place an on-duty officer by the crosswalk at the intersection, and that there are too many pedestrians using it to change it.
“Really, the crosshatching indicates the crosswalk to cars, not pedestrians,” he said. “People just aren’t looking at the signs. That’s one block that is not the norm.”
Bobby Sunderhaus, an undeclared freshman, said he often uses the crosswalk to get to Bentley Hall, but he sees some minor faults.
“It’s weird, you don’t know when to walk. You wait for a long time. It’s just an awkward intersection,” Sunderhaus said. “No matter what, it’s confusing, but we should already be smart enough to figure things like that out.”
Despite the opposition, Wiehl said that for the time being, the crosswalk is here to stay and remains relevant 50 years later.
“This is one of the few lights where we have a designated time for pedestrians,” Wiehl said. “Some even want to see (more crosswalks like this) elsewhere, like on State Street.”
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