Dear Campus:

I wish to echo Rardy Spratt's concerns about the new dangers of east 5th
street.  I am particularly worried that drivers traveling east, from
Douglas St., will not see pedestrians poking out from behind the newly
constructed fence.  When traffic picks up with the start of fall classes I
think there is a high likelihood of someone getting the pegs knocked out
from under them as they attempt the cross to the cemetery side of the
street.

Hope for the best,

John

>X-Sender: [log in to unmask]
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>Approved-By:  Henry Spratt <[log in to unmask]>
>Date:         Wed, 14 Aug 2002 10:19:27 -0400
>Reply-To: Henry Spratt <[log in to unmask]>
>Sender: UTC Staff E-Mail List <[log in to unmask]>
>From: Henry Spratt <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject:      [UTCSTAFF] 5th Street "Safety"
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Status:
>
>Colleagues:
>
>        In keeping with Dr. Shumaker's call for increased vigilance
>regarding campus safety issues, I am concerned with the safety of
>pedestrians on 5th street near the UC construction area.  With all foot
>traffic routed to the north side of the street there will be considerable
>back and forth use of the crosswalks at either end of the construction.
>This summer, with light vehicle and foot traffic, it was at times risky to
>walk past the construction.  Cars and trucks simply go too fast on 5th
>street, and the vast majority of drivers don't seem to think about
>pedestrians. The situation will probably not get any better with the
>increased vehicle and foot traffic that begins Monday. I don't know what
>could be done to warn drivers to watch out for pedestrians, but I'm sure
>there must be better options than the signs that are there now.  For
>instance - better/bigger signs, painting larger warning "stripes" on the
>road, installation of speed bumps or humps before and after the crosswalks,
>"No Parking" along the north side of 5th street across from the
>construction fence (between the two crosswalks), increased presence of
>police to ENFORCE speed and right of way laws.  There are lots of options,
>I just hope that we will elect to be proactive, rather than reactive.
>Student, faculty, and staff lives and well being are potentially in
>jeopardy.
>
>                                Take care,
>
>                                Henry Spratt
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>
>Henry G. Spratt, Jr., Ph.D.
>Professor
>Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences
>University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
>615 McCallie Ave.
>Chattanooga, TN 37403
>
>Ph:     (423)425-4383
>Fax:    (423)425-2285
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>http://www.utc.edu/~hspratt/
>

John A. Lynch, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry, #2252
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN 37403-2598


Office:        437 Grote Hall
Phone:      (423) 425-4491
Fax:          (423) 425-5234
Email:        [log in to unmask]