Cars zooming along Franklin Boulevard in the midst of afternoon rush hour screech to a halt upon seeing a red light at the intersection of Onyx Street. Seconds later, students and faculty step off the curb and into the crosswalk, heading across the busy intersection toward classes in the University’s Millrace Studios.
An ordinary scene — but on occasion, this picture gets uglier.
In October, one University student was hit while crossing the intersection, and Department of Public Safety Director Tom Hicks said this isn’t the only accident that has occurred at the location. Hicks said a student was also struck by a vehicle in July and in January 2000, as well.
According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, between 1999 and 2001 there were seven accidents involving either pedestrians or bicyclists at the intersection, and nine people were injured.
Because many of the students who use the intersection are art or architecture majors, School of Architecture and Allied Arts Dean Robert Melnick said he has been in contact with University Vice President Dan Williams as well as the Office of University Planning for a number of years to share his concerns.
Melnick said he and University planners have looked into a number of alternatives, such as constructing an overpass or underpass.
But he added that there are fundamental problems with both concepts. Constructing an underpass would disrupt utility lines underneath the street. Similarly, there is not enough room to build a foundation for an overpass. Melnick said the overpass would need to cross both lanes of traffic as well as the duck pond.
“I don’t see how this can be resolved,” he said.
The issue had not been brought to the University’s attention until a couple weeks ago, when one student shared concerns, said Associate Vice President for Institutional Affairs Jan Oliver. In upcoming weeks, she said the University plans to contact ODOT to determine whether the intersection is dangerous and whether the problem needs to be addressed.
Oliver said the University will look at data reflecting the number of accidents at the intersection compared to traffic volume, and will then determine whether the intersection is a concern. She said sometimes people think an intersection may be hazardous, when in fact, statistics show it is not a problem.
ODOT employee Jennifer Campbell said the Onyx Street and Franklin Boulevard intersection sees a relatively high number of automobiles, with an average of 30,700 vehicles passing through each day. ODOT estimates the busiest intersection in the city, located at Broadway and Mill Street, has about 45,600 motor vehicles pass through daily.
Mauri Castle, a University senior who works at Millrace Studios as a computer attendant, said she thinks the Onyx intersection is potentially dangerous because students head across the street before the crosswalk sign flashes.
She said almost every time she approaches the crosswalk, she sees cars along Franklin Boulevard running a red light, and if students take off early, they could easily be hit.
Castle said she has also seen students trying to cross the street when they think no cars are coming.
“A lot of times, I have to get to class after work and I only have 10 minutes,” she said. “I don’t want to have to wait for the light, so I go halfway across the intersection and then I try to get across the other half.”
Castle added she thinks a lot of students have similar problems, increasing the dangerous nature of the intersection because students are willing to take risks to get across quickly.
Art department secretary Zara Logue said she thinks the intersection should be made safer for students and others to cross.
“I would at least re-time the stoplight,” Logue said. “But unless an overpass can be built, there is nothing that can really be done.”

CLARIFICATION (made on 11/05/02)

The article “Accidents at UO intersection raise concerns,” (ODE, Nov. 4) should have stated that Oregon Department of Transportation reports show that at the intersection of Onyx Street and Franklin Boulevard from 1999 to 2001, four accidents have occurred involving only vehicles, three accidents have occurred involving vehicles and bicycles or pedestrians, and nine people total have been injured.

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