At the intersection of 10th Street and Jordan Avenue near the library, sophomore Mike Farrell was hit by a car while attempting to cross the street on his bike amid rush hour traffic on Jan. 28. \n"I flipped over the car and onto the windshield," Farrell said. "But I don't think it was my fault because the guy had already stopped for two pedestrians." \nIn 1999, 10th Street was host to 245 traffic accidents, 20 at the Jordan Avenue intersection.\nContrary to popular belief, pedestrians don't always have the right of way. Recently, IU students have become victims while crossing the street. \nIn 1999, Monroe County claimed 43 bicycle/pedestrian traffic injuries, seven more than the previous year, according to Monroe County statistics produced by the Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program. In 1999 there were 4,977 traffic accidents in the county, 1,318 involving personal injuries. Between 1998 and 1999, personal injury accidents rose by 302.\nAccording to the police report, Farrell only sustained minor bruises. \n"I don't know who had the right of way. I think we both probably did when we started moving," Farrell said.
Rush hour risks\nThe cause of these accidents, although different on a case-by-case basis, provides some justification for concern. \n"A lot of people like to blame accidents on students -- and some of that is implied in the time of year statistics," said Tricia Collingwood, Bloomington Transportation Planner and member of the Bike and Safety Committee.\nAccording to these statistics, pedestrians are in more danger during rush hours: Noon, 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., especially on Thursdays and Fridays. \nCollingwood added that generalizations about who or what caused these injuries aren't fair.\n"The time of day could indicate shift change, parents going to pick their kids up at school, high school students getting out of class, etc. Not everything should be attributed to IU students," she said.\nIU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger said it's important for students to know their rights as a pedestrian or cyclist when on campus, but also realize that not everyone is going to be respectful or aware of these rights.\n"You often hear the phrase 'pedestrians always have the right of way,' but that's not always true on the IU campus," Minger said. "There are also laws that say pedestrians cannot impede the flow of traffic. \nMinger attempted to shed some light on where the majority of motorist-pedestrian accidents are likely to occur.\n"Typically the overwhelming majority of accidents occur near intersections because there are more things going on," he said. \nMinger also hinted for students to be more cautious near the intersection by the Musical Arts Center and the new Theatre/Neal-Marshall Education Center. Minger also noted that understanding the legal aspects of pedestrian and biker safety is quite an arduous task.\n"It's not that simple," Minger said. "It depends on if it's a crosswalk, whether they impeded traffic, whether it was an intersection, etc. Many times pedestrians are not given the right of way that's required. If the motorist is not going to give it to them, it's best that they not try to take it."
Being wary of the bus \nBus accidents are also somewhat of a concern, Jim Hosler, Campus Bus Director said.\n"For some reason or another, people have a tendency to walk in front of buses," he said.\nAlthough it has been rumored that students who are hit by an IU bus may receive free tuition, that's not exactly the case. \n"If someone is hit we must first find out who is at fault, and then if we owe them anything based on that decision; this almost always involves a number," Larry Stephens, caseworker for the Office of Risk Management said. "Maybe once in the last 30 years has tuition been discussed."\nAs for the bus drivers, their jobs aren't necessarily in jeopardy just because a student may have neglected to look both ways.\n"You don't automatically terminate someone. You must find out if there was negligence. Nothing is automatic," Hosler said. \nFor some, the question of safety comes down to being alert, and aware that having the right of way doesn't always guarantee a safe way.
Building bike paths\nFor cyclists, though, another issue arises -- the lack of bike paths on campus. \nIn late Oct. 2001, the City of Bloomington passed an ordinance for creating more pedestrian and bike pathways over the next ten years. \nBut many of these pathways are off-campus. \nSandy Drake, sophomore and avid bike rider, insists that there would be fewer accidents if bikers had more places to ride separate from the sidewalks. \n"There should be more pathways like the ones on Lincoln Street and Washington Street because then we don't have to worry so much about the other traffic," Drake said.\nIt seems as if the pathway plan isn't that simple, either.\n"Part of it is agreeing on a route, deciding who should financially support it, and deciding if it should be exclusively for bikers by excluding pedestrians," Doug Porter, Director of Parking Operations, said. "Mainly, bikers aren't going to go out of their way to stay on a bike path."\nFarrell agrees.\n"I don't really follow the road, so I don't think that more bike paths would help anything," he said. "I was just riding my bike to cross the street"
