The University of Maryland’s Student Government Association passed a resolution Wednesday supporting the adoption of several safety measures on Knox Road.
Some university community members say the road is unsafe as is. Safety measures in the bill include in-street pedestrian crossing signs, flexible posts at the fire lane, an extended bike lane, trapezoidal raised crosswalks and better signage for delivery trucks.
Nick Marks, a junior secondary education and government and politics major, said he stopped biking on Knox Road due to dangers he’s faced there.
“I’ve almost gotten hit by cars probably five times there in the past year alone,” Marks, who helped write the bill, said.
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Syed Azan Ali, the bill’s primary sponsor, said the road’s slight incline makes it hard for drivers to see pedestrians crossing the street, especially at night.
“There aren’t that many reflective signs,” Ali, the SGA’s South Campus Commons representative and a junior government and politics and Persian studies major, said. “There have been instances where drivers slow down at the last minute.”
The potential safety improvements would help the large number of students living near Knox Road, Ali said. More apartments are being constructed on Knox Road and the number of students living near it is increasing, according to Ali.
Marks said the safety improvements help pedestrian and biker safety because the bike lane would be longer and protected. Students would also have more crosswalks they can use to reach the shopping center on Knox Road.
“If it’s more walkable with raised crosswalks, then I think it’s safer for pedestrians,” Marks said.
Ali said College Park may be considering a study on Knox Road and its safety.
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Akash Balenalli, a sophomore computer science major, is a member of the Residence Hall Association’s transportation advisory committee, where a similar bill was passed.
Balenalli said the College Park City Council will vote on whether to approve a traffic study investigating Knox Road and Hartwick Road during its meeting on April 16.
In February, city staff and students from this university walked along Knox Road looking at construction, pedestrian and bicycle safety concerns, according to a memo from Jacob Vassalotti, a geographic information systems coordinator for the city.
The group observed unsafe driving and parking behaviors and deficiencies in sidewalks and signage, the memo reported.
The memo listed discussions of many of the SGA-supported safety measures as follow-ups to the walk.
