West University Avenue provides us UF students with an outlet from being constantly contained on campus. Restaurants serve as alternatives to what many call “on-campus dining.” Some students make their ways to University Avenue on the weekends to relieve the stress the everyday weekday grind brings. More than anything, University Avenue is significant because it’s a walking distance escape from school, opportune for fleeting moments. But it could use some improvements, and some only require reprogramming and little bit of paint.
Some of the flaws in University Avenue’s design make it difficult to believe higher-order thinking occurs in such close proximity. The street has developed into a hub for a large volume of cars and pedestrians. The best thing is to expand the street itself, but this proves impossible with the settled foundations of UF on one side and a string of shops and restaurants on the other. However, the streetlights could be reprogrammed to make crossing streets safer.
Anyone who has ever crossed West University Avenue knows the potential dangers of just stepping on the road when the white-illuminated man gives the signal. For some reason, it seems like a good idea to let pedestrians cross the road at the same time cars are trying to make a 30-second light. It is a constant struggle for pedestrians to decide whether to start walking or let the cars turn. Although pedestrians may have the right of way, no one should look to take on a two-ton automobile. The solution is clear: Give pedestrians about 15 seconds to cross, and then let cars turn. The longer it takes to change the timing of the streetlights, the longer pedestrians are in danger of an inattentive driver.
Another problem lies with the crosswalks themselves, especially the ones parallel to West University Avenue. As of now, crosswalks are nestled at the very edge of the road. This puts people right in the action of traffic every time one looks to continue walking University Avenue. Maybe pedestrians shouldn’t be so close to traffic in crosswalks. But hey, here’s an idea: Repaint lines for the crosswalk parallel to University Avenue 10 feet back from where they are right now. Then pedestrians wouldn’t be one lateral step from playing chicken with a car coming at 35 mph.
There is no doubt in the fact Gainesville is a college town. And like many college towns, Gainesville is a breeding ground for homelessness, including West University Avenue. Significant homeless populations in college towns originate from student demand for housing close to campus, which drives housing rates to unaffordable levels for low-wage workers. What keeps homeless people in college towns is the willingness of students to succumb to panhandlers. According to a 2002 study by the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, “The percentage of college students who (give money to panhandlers) tends to be higher than that of the general population.”
Gainesville’s homelessness problem, which can’t be fixed with programming or a bucket of paint, would have to be solved by institutions beyond UF and focusing on problems beyond the conveniences of students walking on a street. It seems that because people simply passively pass by homeless people on an everyday basis, homelessness has become ordinary. Looking to eradicate homeless people panhandling on University Avenue by eradicating Gainesville’s homelessness could increase Gainesville’s image as more than just some college town, but as a city paving the way for solutions to problems that have plagued college towns for more than a decade.
As walking University Avenue surpasses merely strolling some road, so do the potential developments to the area. Improving it can possibly lead to a safer atmosphere for students and a better image of Gainesville as a whole.
Joshua Udvardy is a UF mechanical engineering freshman. His column appears on Wednesdays.
