Prolonged 7th Street closure strangling campus traffic flow

The green fence and white trailers blocking Seventh Street on the north side of the IU Auditorium might turn out to be a permanent fixture on campus. \nA sign posted in front of a break in the fence warns pedestrians "construction site, no trespassing," which may give the area the appearance of a temporary construction site. \nHowever, IU Architect Bob Meadows said the University is using the trailers parked there for short-term storage of materials. \nThe street has been blocked off since 1998, and IU has no immediate plans to re-open it to traffic.\nDirector of Campus Bus Service Jim Hosler said closing that portion of Seventh Street continues to have a major impact on busing operations.\n"Before (construction), all our routes went through Seventh," Hosler said. "Only the A route went by the library."\nHosler said now all routes have to pass through 10th Street.\n"We still have all the locals and University traffic going through there," he said. "Over the years, it has created a bottleneck situation that didn't exist before.\nHosler said that when the street was closed, he was told that it would not re-open.\nBesides causing adverse traffic conditions, Hosler said the site is anything but aesthetically pleasing in what is otherwise a beautiful area of campus.\nPedestrian traffic also has been routed around the site, causing inconvenience for some students.\nSophomore Bobby Thacker takes the path around the area every day on his way between the Main Library and Jordan Hall.\nThacker said the fact that the area has been blocked off for so long frustrates him.\n"I know it has been here for at least two years, and it's just an inconvenience to walk around every day," he said. "It's kind of absurd that a campus that prides itself on being beautiful would have something like this."\nThacker also said the condition of the site is an eyesore.\n"The fences are dilapidated," he said. "It hasn't been kept up."\nThacker said he thinks that with parking being such a major issue, the site could have a more useful purpose.\n"They should make it into more parking for teachers or something," Thacker said. "That would free up more space in the library parking lot for students."\nJoanna Davis, marketing and events manager for the IU Art Museum, which is located near the site, said she is disappointed with the way the area is being used.\n"It's unfortunate that it has been there for several years," Davis said. "It is a usable space for other purposes."\nHowever, not everyone is bothered by the path around the area.\nWillie Humphry, a sophomore who lives in Wright Quad, said his daily commute along the path on his way to Ballantine Hall doesn't bother him in the least.\n"It doesn't look very good, but it's not problem for me to walk around."\n-- Contact staff writer Haley Beck at habeck@indiana.edu.