A $549,279 renovation at the main campus intersection could have little or no effect on campus safety for cyclists and pedestrians, officials said.
Robert Fey, associated director of public safety at Ball State, said the newly renovated intersection makes pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as drivers, more aware of their surroundings. But it may be too soon to see what other improvements could be made to the intersection.
"Time will tell if the renovation actually reduces accidents," he said. "The statistics will prove one way or the other."
The Ball State University Police Department reported 28 accidents involving pedestrians or bicyclists in the last three years, according to accident reports obtained through an Access to Public Records Act request.
The records show the time, location and the type of accidents that took place, as well as a narrative and a sketch that helps describe the incident. Records include incidents that took place between January 2008 and Sept. 23, 2011.
Most of the accidents took place at the intersection of McKinley and Riverside avenues. Seven of the incidents involved pedestrians. Most of the wrecks took place in the fall, toward the beginning of the semester, during daylight and during the weekdays.
Most accidents also happened in daylight, with 21 accidents taking place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Fey said he wasn't surprised with the number of accidents in broad daylight.
"Most accidents are a result of inattention, rather than environmental conditions," he said.
NARROW LANES
Three of the main roads on campus — McKinley, Riverside and Neely avenues — have undergone construction in recent years, and the university made the streets narrow on purpose, said Kevin Kenyon, associate vice president of Facilities Planning and Management.
"We have no plans on putting bike lanes on McKinley, Riverside or the main part of campus," he said. "We've studied it for years and if we make the roads wide enough to add bike lanes, it also makes it wider for people to drive faster, and that's not what we want."
Kenyon said throughout McKinley Avenue's overhaul, the narrow design has helped reduce the possibility of accidents. When roads are wide, people naturally drive faster, he said, and having bike lanes would make the road more dangerous because of the bus stops off to the side of the road.
The university is looking into having bicycle lanes on other parts of campus on a trial basis. Kenyon said cyclists are always a talking point for the department, and he hopes to start discussing other solutions to accommodate them.
"We don't want to create all these lanes and then realize they don't get used or don't work," he said.
Some areas have already been designated to cyclists.
An area on the Cow Path Walkway behind the David Letterman Communication and Media Building splits into two lanes: one for pedestrians and a ramp for cyclists.
Kenyon said the university is open to suggestions as long as they address issues from all angles.
"Just saying, ‘This is a problem,' isn't going to help because we know it's a problem," he said. "But what's the solution?"
RESPONSIBILITY TO SAFETY
University Police Department officer Mark Workman has written reports for five of the 28 accidents. From his perspective, the new medians near the Scramble Light pose problems because they jut out too far, making it hard for large vehicles to turn.
It's also caused a couple fender benders during the last few months. Some students like to walk through the medians instead of going up to the intersection, which is also dangerous.
"Well, not to knock the person who designed that," Workman said. "But I think it's a poor design. That's my opinion on it."
The new intersection is wider on all corners, which allows for more foot traffic. But he said it comes at a cost for students' overall safety.
The signature chirp at the Scramble Light can provide additional confusion.
On Aug. 18, Colin Betts tried to bike diagonally through the intersection of McKinley and Neely avenues. The senior urban planning and history major said he thought it was OK to cross diagonally at the intersection.
"The light turned, and a chirping sound came on," he remembered. "I briefly glanced, and it looked clear ... That's when I got hit by someone in a vehicle."
Workman was the reporting for the incident.
"He cut right in the path of the car and got hit," Workman said. "Actually rode away on that particular one, no injuries."
Amanda Fratangeli, a graduate student studying music and performance, was the driver involved. She said she didn't even have time to honk. She just slammed on her breaks as Betts hit the right side of her car, ripping off her sideview mirror.
"I just wanted to make sure he was OK," she said. "You know, it's kind of traumatizing to hit a cyclist."
Betts said he didn't have any major injuries. As the treasurer of Students for a Sustainable Campus, he's trying to advocate for better safety.
He noted that Ball State's strategic plan doesn't mention anything about transportation management, which is something his organization hopes to address.
Fratangeli said she lives in Applegate Apartments on North Everett Road, across from McGalliard Road.
"I never had a problem [crossing the road]," she said. "It's just scary."
She calls herself a defensive driver, but she echoes a common suggestion from cyclists: adding bicycle lanes on and off campus.
Nathan Russell, a sophomore urban planning major, and Vera Adams, an instructor of urban planning, are also taking up the cause. They issued a survey on bike safety last fall, and they sent out an updated survey last month. They plan to present their findings to the Department of Facilities Planning and Management sometime this school year.
SPECIFIC CASES
It can be difficult to determine who is at fault in accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians.
In February 2010, a student was "flying" down McKinley Avenue and wasn't able to avoid a collision with a slow-moving car in the Noyer South Drive.
The driver said the cyclist was knocked off his bike but got up to apologize.
"It's my fault," he said twice before brushing himself off and riding away.
Ignorance of a person's surroundings could be a factor in bike and pedestrian crashes.
In May 2009, a man said he didn't notice a person walking until she had struck his vehicle.
"[He] stated he did not see [her] until she was on the hood of his vehicle," according to an officer in a standard crash report.
A UPD officer offered the woman a ride home, and she refused any medical attention.
Two reports showed that people involved in bike and pedestrian wrecks were under the influence of alcohol.
In one case, it was a student who was struck on his way home from the bars. His blood alcohol content level was low enough that he was not charged.
In the other case, a cyclist was struck by a drunk driver. He said he didn't see the biker. But when he felt the impact, he stopped. The incident took place just after 2 a.m. in September 2008, and an employer for Nye's Wrecker Service witnessed the incident.
"I could smell an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath and his eyes were watery and bloodshot," wrote the reporting officer.
He asked if the man had been drinking.
"And he said that he hadn't," the officer wrote. "I began to give him standardized field sobriety test."
The man was ultimately charged with OWI, endangering a person, driving with a BAC above .08 grams and illegal possession of alcohol.
Local ordinances protect bikers, pedestrians and motorists from legal issues surrounding wrecks and injuries.
An officer in late September explained this to a men who collided with a bike on a dark, rainy night. They said they'd make a pact — the driver would pay for damages to the bike and there would be no hard feelings.
The next day, the motorist said he didn't want to pay the full amount for a new bike, especially since an officer explained that bikes should display headlights after dark.
When the men didn't agree on a price for the damages, the officer took possession of the bike and put in the Ball State property room.
Fey said students should be conscious about sharing the roadways. Establishing communication through eye contact could also help motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists avoid accidents.
"Regardless of who might have the legal ‘right of way,' a pedestrian or bicycle will lose a match if a collision occurs," he said.
-Kelly Dickey and Sarah Boswell contributed to this story.
Wrecks on campus
- 28 bicycle and pedestrian wrecks since 2008
- 7 wrecks involving pedestrians
- 21 wrecks involving cyclists
- McKinley/Riverside intersection was the most common for the wrecks
- Most took place in the fall during daylight hours and during weekdays
- Three of the wrecks took place on a weekend
- Most wrecks took place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
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