By Brian Bohl
Students might want to consider using the three footbridges to avoid crossing Nassau’s deadliest road for pedestrians.
Hempstead Turnpike, which runs between the University’s north and south sides of campus, recorded 15 pedestrian fatalities from 2005-07, according to Tri-State Transportation Campaign figures. The Manhattan-based, non-profit organization’s records also cited a stretch of Sunrise Highway in Suffolk County that recorded 12 fatalities during the same time period, as the area’s second-highest death rate.
In April, University student Gregory Welch was hit by a car while walking across the intersection between Uniondale Avenue and Hempstead Turnpike. Welch recovered, though he was struck at what the report cited as one of the county’s most dangerous areas. Most of Hempstead Turnpike’s fatalities occurred along a 15-mile stretch that passes through Elmont, Franklin Square and Hempstead.
In April 2007, the University opened its third unispan to allow students another alternative to crossing Hempstead Turnpike. The 240-foot wide west pedestrian bridge, a $4.6 million project, connects the Netherlands Residential Complex to the south side of campus. University spokesman Stu Vincent said the report should serve as incentive for students to use the bridge instead of walking across the dangerous intersections.
“People around here treat the Turnpike like the Autobahn and don’t obey any traffic laws,” said Tim Lee, a senior creative writing major.
The west pedestrian bridge also is the closest walkway to the bars along Hempstead Turnpike, providing students a safe outlet for getting back to the dorms instead of having to risk crossing the road by foot.
“When I walk across the turnpike on the crosswalk, I feel safe,” Taylor Stell, a senior film major, said. “When I see kids drunkenly trying to run across in the middle of the night, I can imagine how they would get hit.”
When the unispan opened, Joseph Barkwill, the University’s vice president for facilities and operations, said the administration understood some students would not use the unispan. But he also said he was hopeful that the majority of students would take advantage of the improved safety measures.
“I’ve seen a lot of students on the bridge, especially at night,” Barkwill said at the time. “Just to know that they are crossing that road by bridge, [it] makes me happy to know that the students’ safety is enhanced.”
