When students at HSE are dismissed from their last class of the day, many rush out the doors to get home or start an afterschool activity. Although most students elect to ride the bus or ride in a car, some decide to walk home along the sidewalks that line Olio Road. For these students, a constant threat remains during their journey home: the crosswalks. 

 The crosswalks adjacent to HSE are simple: students are able to push a button which will eventually prompt the light at the end of the crosswalk to start a timer, one that gives pedestrians a 35-second window to cross the street. This window of time is coordinated with the stoppage of traffic on the walker’s left and right sides, as they have red traffic lights when walkers are crossing the street.

  The danger, however, comes from the vehicles in the left turn lane that intersects with the path of pedestrians. While other cars are prompted with a red light while pedestrians are walking, cars in the left turn lane are not. In fact, they are given a green arrow, allowing them to legally drive directly into the crosswalk lane, which happens to be prompting walkers to cross at the same time. 

   This poses some major dangers, as an inattentive driver may accidentally hit a walker. Accidents like these are very possible, as nearly 137,000 pedestrians worldwide were hospitalized by cars in 2017, according to the CDC. If this threat remains, the crosswalk becomes no safer than jaywalking, which is a danger that students should not have to worry about. If we are to ensure student safety, we must not ignore the glaring threat that exists for students who walk to school.