The Student Government Association passed a bill Thursday pushing for repair of the area around the railroad tracks between the main campus and the Southern Avenue parking lot.
According to the bill, Norfolk Southern Railroad Corporation owns the tracks and the area around them, making it private property.
The SGA bill urges The U of M to write a letter to the railroad corporation, suggesting repairs be made to the staircases and the land.
“We shouldn’t wait until a student’s life is jeopardized. Students have the right to safety,” said Melanie Cleveland, SGA Senator-at-Large.
The bill states that the staircases leading up to the railroad tracks are crumbling and the land surrounding the area has eroded, causing drops in the land.
“We should feel safe walking from the parking lot to class,” Cleveland said.
“Someone needs to step up and take the responsibility.”
Cleveland said The U of M has wanted to make repairs, but the railroad company has brushed them off.
“If we make any repairs ourselves, then it turns into kind of a legal battle,” she said.
Efforts to contact officials from The Norfolk Southern Railroad Company were unsuccessful.
“It’s fair to say that concerns about the railroad have been here for a long time,” said William Porter, assistant vice-president for student affairs and dean of students. “But it’s private property and the fact that it’s not University property makes it a challenge. It’s my understanding that The U of M can’t just go over there and fix the problem.”
Cleveland said there are 3-foot drops at the end of two staircases, the steps are crumbling and there are no handrails.
“I trip on the rocks all the time,” said Anne Bailey, sophomore art major. “That would be great if they could fix it.”
The SGA is serious about getting these changes made, Cleveland said.
“It’s been neglected for far too long,” she said. “We have the ability to make a difference. If a student gets hurt because we didn’t draft the bill, then part of the responsibility falls on our shoulders.”
“I saw a girl laying by the tracks with two police officers helping her. I heard that she broke her knee,” said Peter Phan, freshman biology major.
He said he feels that most students think the area is potentially dangerous.
“A good solution would be to build a tunnel,” he said.
Cleveland said one proposed solution has been to build a sky bridge between the Southern Avenue lot and the main campus. But a representative of the physical plant told her that it would cost between $500,000 and $1 million.
“Even if the sky bridge is feasible, something still needs to be done about the tracks,” Cleveland said.
David Lumsden, a University employee for 35 years, said the area has always been a problem and he doesn’t expect anything to change.
“It’s not designed with safety in mind,” he said. “Somebody is going to slip and break their leg and then we’ll see what happens.”
