Walking across Richland Avenue is about to get a lot safer for students.
Athens City Council has begun discussing an ordinance that proposes building a bypass near the crosswalk that connects West Green to the area near Porter Hall.
The site of construction would be the crosswalk between Porter Hall directly across from West Green and the corridor for buses. The bus stop would have to be removed for the project.
Ohio University maintains an existing utility tunnel under the east side of Richland Avenue. If the bypass is created, the utility tunnel would have to be updated accordingly, as the new crosswalk would be underneath the existing road. Pedestrians would be able to bypass the flow of cars to cross Richland Avenue.
The area is high in traffic for both pedestrians and vehicles and has caused a number of accidents over the years.
“This particular area’s pedestrian counts of 1,300 an hour, and 750 to 1,000 vehicles per hour,” Athens Mayor Steve Patterson said during the Sept. 18 council meeting.
Patterson gave the proposed dimensions of the tunnel, stating it would be about 30 feet wide, which is twice the size of the utility tunnel.
Councilman Jeff Risner, D-2nd Ward, and councilwoman Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward, were in favor of the project.
“This report is very complete,” Risner added. "I like the design; I like the enhancement."
Other council members support the project as well.
“I am in favor of this project, and I’m also excited to see what boils over in the future of this project and what is to come” Councilman Peter Kotses, D-At-Large, said.
Some of the council members, however, debated that the construction is not technically a “tunnel.” Patterson labeled the project as “the tunnel that’s not a tunnel."
The project is estimated to cost between $2.5-$3 million. Of that cost, City of Athens would pay $350,000-$400,000.
“Yes this is costly, but running over students is costly too,” Risner said at the Sept. 18 meeting.
The city is tasked with working alongside OU to take part in projects that would benefit students’ safety and well-being. In previous projects, the city underwent construction for projects, including the replacement of light poles across from The Convo.
Council members expressed how concerned they have been in the past with the crosswalk on Richland Avenue and how they are ready for a safe change.
“There have been incidents where there were pedestrian vehicle accidents; it has happened before, once deadly,” Patterson said.
Some OU students were in favor of the project. Those who live or have lived on West Green understand the daily task of walking the crosswalk to Porter Hall or Baker Center.
“Every day, I have to cross the street to go or do anything. … Every time, I see a massive traffic backup, which extends all the way to the traffic light,” Connor Mills, a freshman studying journalism who lives on West Green, said. “Occasionally, cars are stuck when trying to turn onto Richland. This is because of the massive pedestrian presence that needs to cross the street to get where they are going.”
Other students have witnessed heavy traffic in the area on their way through campus.
“I take Richland Avenue every day to get to class,” Justice Clark, a freshman studying biology who lives on West Green, said. “I think the area has a lot of student and car traffic.”
