Spring Break
A bad mix of pointless and dangerous
Founders' traffic needs to be dealt with
Lara Oliver
Issue date: 4/7/09 Section: Opinion
Anyone who has driven down Greenville Boulevard at 5 p.m. on a Friday knows what it means to be frustrated to the point of rage, and anybody who doesn't drive as their main means of transportation in town knows how scary it can be to walk or bike in a town that isn't very friendly to non-drivers. Yet, very few roads in town have the mix of driver frustration, pedestrian fear and a very negligible amount of convenience as much as Founders Drive.
Anyone that has to travel back and forth across Founders, either by car or by foot, can attest to the frustration inherent in that small stretch of road. Awkward rules regarding who gets to go first causes confusion on the part of driver and pedestrian alike. Often it can seem that the only thing that can get you to your destination is plain old rudeness. I know I've been on both sides of the coin. When I'm driving I can't help but feel that the sea of pedestrians crossing the street seems endless, and when I'm walking, I'm scared I'll get run over by an angry driver if I walk out too soon, leading me to wait on the curb while a dozen cars pass through.
I don't think this is the fault of either party. Everyone has places to go and it's stupid to argue over whose destination is more important. I do feel that getting rid of Founders Drive as a connector between Fifth and 10th Streets would be the best solution to this problem.
At first glance, it sounds like a pretty dumb idea, but hear me out. Do we really need any reason for 10th and Fifth to be connected? ECU isn't exactly the biggest campus. It's easy to get around on either Elm or Charles, depending on your destination.
The only real traffic I see going through Founders are students dropping off friends and people cutting through as a shortcut. The people using Founders as a shortcut just end up clogging up the road, especially between classes, and contributing to the frustration of students and drivers alike.
It seems that any convenience Founders could have served has gone down with the increasing student body and the population of Greenville in general. Large amounts of pedestrian traffic find themselves hampered by the increase of regular traffic on Founders and vice-versa. If we ended up just bisecting the road and making two cul-de-sacs, we could still have the convenience of drivers dropping off friends with the benefit of pedestrians not having to compete with drivers for the same space.
If it's really that necessary to keep Founders as a regular drive from Fifth to 10th Streets, maybe it's about time for a pedestrian signal so there won't be any more confusion as to whose turn it is and cut down on the danger for both driver and pedestrian.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
Anyone that has to travel back and forth across Founders, either by car or by foot, can attest to the frustration inherent in that small stretch of road. Awkward rules regarding who gets to go first causes confusion on the part of driver and pedestrian alike. Often it can seem that the only thing that can get you to your destination is plain old rudeness. I know I've been on both sides of the coin. When I'm driving I can't help but feel that the sea of pedestrians crossing the street seems endless, and when I'm walking, I'm scared I'll get run over by an angry driver if I walk out too soon, leading me to wait on the curb while a dozen cars pass through.
I don't think this is the fault of either party. Everyone has places to go and it's stupid to argue over whose destination is more important. I do feel that getting rid of Founders Drive as a connector between Fifth and 10th Streets would be the best solution to this problem.
At first glance, it sounds like a pretty dumb idea, but hear me out. Do we really need any reason for 10th and Fifth to be connected? ECU isn't exactly the biggest campus. It's easy to get around on either Elm or Charles, depending on your destination.
The only real traffic I see going through Founders are students dropping off friends and people cutting through as a shortcut. The people using Founders as a shortcut just end up clogging up the road, especially between classes, and contributing to the frustration of students and drivers alike.
It seems that any convenience Founders could have served has gone down with the increasing student body and the population of Greenville in general. Large amounts of pedestrian traffic find themselves hampered by the increase of regular traffic on Founders and vice-versa. If we ended up just bisecting the road and making two cul-de-sacs, we could still have the convenience of drivers dropping off friends with the benefit of pedestrians not having to compete with drivers for the same space.
If it's really that necessary to keep Founders as a regular drive from Fifth to 10th Streets, maybe it's about time for a pedestrian signal so there won't be any more confusion as to whose turn it is and cut down on the danger for both driver and pedestrian.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 5
J
posted 4/07/09 @ 7:37 AM EST
Correct me if I am wrong, which I am sure someone will, but as long as that cross walk and cut through have been there I have never heard anything about anyone getting hit or causing an accident there. (Continued…)
to J
posted 4/07/09 @ 1:00 PM EST
just this past march a car hit a pedestrian on 10th & founders.
You can look it up on the ECU police website.
agree
posted 4/07/09 @ 6:20 PM EST
I agree that it is a necessary road, I was just stating a fact to J.
But as far as drivers cutting through there and getting angry for having to wait for pedestrians, well thats there own darn fault. (Continued…)
I was shocked, SHOCKED, to find
posted 4/08/09 @ 10:22 AM EST
that I agreed with Lara Oliver. Provide access for emergency vehicles and vendors, shut down the through service and make those assholes go down Cotanche or Elm St. (Continued…)
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