After at least nine cars collided with pedestrians or cyclists this semester at Boston University, some students are blaming the Commonwealth Avenue “beautification” project as the ugly source of the problem.
“I really feel that the construction had a big effect on the number of students that were hit by cars this year,” said Student Union President Adil Yunis. “It just disrupts the whole flow of traffic and how people are used to getting from class to class.”
West Campus saw the highest volume of reported collisions this semester. Though some of the incidents were serious, only some of the victims — including BU students — were temporarily hospitalized.
Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said he does not know if the number of traffic collisions have increased or decreased from last year, but he would like to see if there has truly been a change.
“Our perception about student safety has been heightened,” Elmore said. “It’s just that you’re reporting them, and I think that’s good news to be honest with you. I think whatever we can do to get the word out to people, that they’ve got to be concerned about their safety.”
Yunis, a College of Arts and Sciences senior, said the Union was involved in discussions with McCourt Construction Company to push for safer, more permanent “jersey barriers” – concrete triangular blockades – in the street to keep students out of the way of machinery.
Union Campus Safety Committee chairman Leo Gameng cited infrastructure as one of the largest safety concerns, in addition to construction.
Gameng said the Campus Safety Committee will “more than likely” issue a report in the near future, with “recommendations for a change in infrastructure.” Gameng suggested some possible extreme changes to the campus that could improve pedestrian safety, such as “possibly building skywalks between the BU Bridge and Commonwealth Avenue.”
Elmore said he doubts students would use skywalks because they may not take extra time to walk up and down a bridge in their rush to get to class. He said students who run to catch the T or try to beat changing traffic lights should “take that extra second” to check and ensure their personal safety.
In late October, BU graduate student Yeon Lee was struck by a BU Police Department vehicle near the BU Central T stop after the cruiser made a left-handed U-turn illegal for non-emergency vehicles, according to witnesses and a Boston Police Department report. BUPD Chief Thomas Robbins said he took “appropriate action” following an internal investigation of the incident.
In mid-October, a BU shuttle struck a pedestrian as the Peter Pan bus pulled out of its Agganis Arena stop.
In September, a School of Management senior was struck by a driver near Shaw’s at Packard’s Corner. Jeonghyun Kim, 25, had a .14 blood-alcohol content level when she hit the student, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences junior Isadora Nogueira was hit later that day by another car near the Fitness and Recreation Center. Nogueira was released from the hospital the next morning with a fractured leg and stitches.
During Safety Week in September, a biker was struck on Commonwealth Avenue near West Campus and taken to the hospital.
“[We’re] stopping people to cross the street [and] . . . you still have people getting hit,” Elmore said. “What do we have a responsibility to do? To remind people.”
Gameng said the Union is talking with Brookline and Boston police to see if fines could be increased for speeders, because “most of these accidents” result from speeding.
Other Union plans for safety include sponsoring another Safety Week, orientation presentations and information for major dormitories’ Residence Hall Associations.
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