University of Virginia Library

Letter To The Editor

Traffic Safety, Danger Scored

We noted with pleasure the attention
given in The Cavalier Daily
to the traffic dangers of Emmet
Street. There is a place more exposed
and busier than the crosswalk
leading from first-year dorms
to the Grounds, however. The
accident occurring last Wednesday
night came as no surprise to us
in Mary Munford attending a dorm
meeting at which this problem was
being discussed.

Mary Munford has not even a
crosswalk to protect residents in
navigating Emmet Street traffic.
Located as we are on a hill
leading from a busy intersection
of state highways, we, too, never
see a car moving at the mandatory
25 mph, nor one observing
the flashing yellow light warning,
"Pedestrian Crossing at 2500
feet." We have not measured the
distance to the "crossing," but
we suspect motorists see no reason
to observe a crossing where none
is marked. Of course, to cars from
the opposite direction we appear
to be flagrant jaywalkers.

From Alumni Hall to McCormick
Road, there is no sidewalk
enabling us to move to what we
whimsically regarded as the comparative
safety of the first-year
man's crosswalk. Because of the
University's shortage of parking
places, cars line both sides of
Emmet, forcing us to field traffic
on our way up the street. If a
crosswalk could be placed at the
corner of Sprigg's Lane and
Emmet, and perhaps patrolled
during the heavy rush hours, we
would all feel more secure about
going to class, the Corner, or the
library. We might even arrive on
time.