Over 10,000 cars and easily three times that number of pedestrians crisscross the Cornell campus each weekday. The number of times pedestrians travel a crosswalk and contend with oncoming traffic approaches a million times per week. Now, the ground rule for this interaction has changed.
On campus, pedestrians now have the right of way in all crosswalks. Motorists and cyclists must yield to pedestrians -- slowing down and stopping if necessary. Drivers racing with pedestrians to get to intersections and cyclists weaving through crosswalks will be subject to enforcement penalties issued by Cornell Police. Throughout the fall, this will be enforced as part of the rules and regulations associated with the university's Campus Code of Conduct; by January 2003, it will be enacted as state law.
"Because of the pedestrian density on campus, this rule makes perfect sense," said Patrick Savolskis, chair of the Transportation Advisory Committee. "Why delay until January something of such great benefit to the campus?"
Cornell Police will be treating infractions of this regulation as a violation of the campus code during the fall semester. Said CUP Sgt. Chuck Howard: "As with any law, the purpose is safety and public protection. So we are glad to be able to use the fall semester as an opportunity to educate the campus population about the new law."
"It really comes down to courtesy and common sense," said Bill Wendt, director of Transportation and Mail Services at Cornell. "Now motorists and cyclists should be prepared to stop whenever they see a pedestrian in any part of a crosswalk."
Likewise, Howard pointed out, pedestrians also have responsibilities. "Having had the right of way is small consolation after a crash," he said.
First, pedestrians should take advantage of their rights by crossing only at marked crosswalks, whenever practical, and obeying traffic signals -- thus making their behavior predictable to drivers. Second, pedestrians have the legal responsibility to enter a crosswalk only if an oncoming motorist or cyclist has reasonable time to yield the right of way.
Wendt pointed out that this new law will make crossing campus by car a much slower proposition. "With pedestrians now firmly in the right of way, motorists should seek to avoid central campus, especially during class change times." (See below.)
It is important to note that -- by legal definition -- not all crosswalks are indicated by pavement markings. All intersections are "implied" pedestrian crosswalks, even if unmarked. In all cases, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists are required to act in accordance with all traffic signs and signals.
The new regulation will be posted at many campus crosswalks by mid-street signs. And Transportation Services is conducting a publicity campaign on the new rule.
Motorists can avoid pedestrian congestion during peak times by using alternate routes around the busiest intersections on campus.
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