The University’s Department of Public Safety will start issuing $75 citations to pedestrians who don’t obey foot-traffic detour signs near and around construction sites on campus, DPS Lt. Herb Horner said.
The sidewalks on the north and east sides of the University Health Center will be closed for the 2005-06 academic year because of the center’s expansion project. The north side of East 15th Avenue near the Living Learning Center construction site will also be closed.
Many pedestrians have been walking in the streets, sometimes three or four abreast, instead of crossing over to open sidewalks.
Horner said the pedestrians block vehicles, upset drivers and raise safety concerns. There is not enough room at either location for both pedestrians and cars, he said.
No one has been hurt yet.
Horner said DPS has been sending out verbal warnings to violators “all day, every day.”
Although DPS wants to issue city citations only as a last resort, it may have to start within the next week or two, he said.
Because Agate Street is in the city’s jurisdiction, people caught walking in restricted areas near the health center may be cited by Eugene Police. People caught walking adjacent to health center construction on East 13th Avenue and those walking near LLC construction may be cited by DPS.
Horner said the situation will become much worse when the outgoing lane in front of the health center closes for construction vehicle traffic. During a later construction phase, the eastbound lane will replace the westbound lane, and the westbound lane will be relocated to the parking spaces in front of Oregon Hall.
“Congestion is going to be just terrible for a period of time,” Horner said.
Horner said DPS is down four officers and a sergeant right now, and doesn’t want to use resources to issue pedestrian citations.
DPS staff shortages are consistent with current shortages at the Eugene Police Department, which is down 20 positions, Horner said.
“When the economy is good, it’s hard to recruit officers,” he said.
Last spring, DPS was having the same problem with pedestrians and had to spend a week aggressively enforcing the detours, Horner said. Last year, signs warning pedestrians about the fines were posted, but DPS will not replace them since they were twice stolen.
No more sidewalk closures are expected this year, but the education and music school building projects could start as early as next year.
The building projects could be simultaneous, in which case parts of campus “could really be a mess,” Horner said.
Currently, the path taken by many students from the residence halls to the heart of campus is blocked between Carson and Walton halls for the LLC construction.
Freshman Sammy Rawlins said that because he wasn’t on campus before the construction, he’s used to walking around the fence on his way to and from Walton Hall.
“I have to go a long way anyway,” freshman Chris Enquist said. He lives in Bean Hall, but it would “be a lot quicker” without the construction, he said.

[email protected]