For University of Memphis students, parking their vehicles and walking to class can often seem like a real-life game of Frogger.
During peak hours, students can be seen stepping from in between the safe shelter of parked cars bordering some University parking lots and making a dash for their desired destinations.
However, some are forced to quickly retreat back to the safety of the parked cars, as a steady stream of vehicular obstacles prevents their passage.
“I was not very good at ‘Frogger,’” said Justin Leike, a U of M student. “But it has sharpened my skills to prevent me from getting squashed.”
While video games may prepare some students for crossing The U of M’s busy intersections at major parking lots, two recently proposed plans from officials at The University may keep students from needing to dig out their old Ataris.
An idea to make crossing to class from the Central parking lot more user-friendly is now in the pre-planning stage, and The U of M’s department of Campus Planning and Design — along with some Memphis city officials — is weighing two possibilities to revamp the crossings.
One of the designs proposes the construction of pedestrian bridges over Central Ave. so that students will no longer have to wait at the light for an opportunity to cross. The bridge would also increase the safety of those pedestrians, according to Tony Poteet, assistant vice president of Campus Planning and Design.
Officials are proposing that Central Ave. be lowered so that the bridges would be at the current street level, and traffic would flow freely beneath, without a need for the currently existing traffic light.
The other possibility under consideration is to construct medians on the street near the crosswalks.
However, before any progress can be made, additional funding for the projects must be secured, Poteet said. Also, the city must address concerns from area residents before any work on the proposed projects begins.
A residential neighborhood association located near The University is apparently opposing the proposed project, citing possible traffic congestion on Poplar Ave.
A plan to construct an elevated crosswalk that will extend from within the Southern parking lot into the heart of the campus is also being proposed as part of the department’s master plan.
The new covered crosswalk, which proposes to connect locations such as the new bookstore and the life science building, is designed for traffic to flow freely while students cross safely and conveniently.
However, the crosswalk is considered a more long-term venture and is still in the early stages of development.
“The U of M may decide to build the new crosswalks in several years or may decide not to do it at all,” Poteet said. “It all depends on the result of the capital projects on campus.”
Poteet also said The University’s main decision to build the walkways is to increase safety and convenience to students who cross both Southern and Central avenues.
Moreover, Poteet said long- term construction proposals are often subject to change out of necessity to prioritize the needs of The University.
Also, Poteet said another reason for building the new walkways is to help improve the drainage system on campus.
Because there is no set date to begin construction, the dimensions of the walkways are not known, according to Poteet.
“One problem The University is looking into is whether students will use the walkways if they are built,” said Diana Hale, manager of Parking Services. “Also, another problem we have is that some students will say the walkways are located too far away and will not use them. If we still have accidents at these locations, then we still have problems.”
For pedestrians who frequently cross both Southern and Central avenues, some students at The U of M said building the new crosswalks would be a welcome addition to the parking lots.
Andy Vachon, a student at The U of M, said the decision to build the new walkways is long overdue.
“They definitely need to build walkways in the parking lots,” Vachon said. “The Southern parking lots are more dangerous than the Central ones because of the tracks. When you cross the street, a car can stop. When you cross the railroad tracks, the train can’t stop for you.”
