Hey, let’s build a bridge

As you drive through the IU campus, it is hard not to marvel at the grandiose of such a splendid University.

There are beautiful trees, a breathtaking landscape, a vast array of extraordinary massively large buildings, hoards of students happy to attended such a fine University and ... wait a second.

What is this? A traffic jam? At 7:30 at night? You have got to be kidding me.  

The magnanimous trees, the enticing landscape, the mesmeric-sized buildings, and I can’t help but be angry that no one thought of a way to not incur a traffic jam on a city block.

For those of you who just were dropped off from an alien planet and have no clue what I am talking about, I ask you to do one thing.

During the school week, drive down 10th Street, primarily between Indiana Avenue and Jordan Avenue, to witness first-hand the miserable bumper-to-bumper traffic.

As you drive closer, you will be curious what could possibly cause such a traffic jam.

How is it possible, in a small city such as Bloomington, on a non-highway road like 10th Street that there could be a traffic jam?

The answer : students. Yes, students crossing the crosswalks that are not on designated stoplights are holding up the traffic.

A simple one minute drive down 10th Street turns into a fifteen-minute affair in a blink of an eye.

Now I do not claim to be a genius or a wizard with magical powers from a foreign land, but I have an idea or two how to fix this problem.

Let’s build a pedestrian walking bridge.

Indiana University is building a 53 million-dollar Global and International building, and that’s great.

A larger building for those people who want to expand their educational horizon, I’m all for it.

They built 38 million-dollar Rose Residence Center. Now, I’ve never had the unfortunate pleasure of living in an IU residence hall, but I’m sure they are like most — outdated and gross.

Build a new one? Sure, good idea.

IU is even renovating and adding on to Hodge Hall to the tune of 37 million dollars for the Kelly School of Business right there on 10th Street.

We have a wonderful business program, one of the best in the country. For those in the Kelly School of Business, this is excellent.

So why stop there? Let’s, oh I don’t know, build a large pedestrian bridge that crosses over the top of 10th Street that will be beneficial for the safety and livelihood of all who attend IU. That’s a good idea.

I can see it now. A beautiful bridge, with magnificent steel letters, with a display that reads “Indiana University, a school for the innovative thinkers.”

A bridge that will add to a wonderful University, which will free up traffic on the road and provide a safer walking environment for its students.

This is perfect. Heck, you could even call it the Goldaris Bridge.

­— eygoldar@indiana.edu