Residents of the area surrounding lower campus want federal funding for a stoplight at the Summit and Park intersection to ease traffic and pedestrian safety problems.
The Third Ward Neighborhood Association voted Tuesday at a meeting in Davies Center with university and city officials to try to regain federal funding to install a traffic signal at the intersection.
The Eau Claire City Council did not want funding for such a project due to its traffic flow effects on Summit, said Brian Amundson, city public works director.
The Summit and Park intersection is the stop sign intersection north of Hibbard Hall and near the Water Street bridge.
Because Summit Avenue turns into two eastbound lanes in the area, Vice Chancellor Andy Soll agreed with Third Ward residents that it makes taking a left turn onto Summit sometimes dangerous.
“It’s a guessing game,” Soll said. “It’s a game of chicken.”
That left turn onto Summit is the cause of most vehicle accidents at the intersection, averaging about nine a year, Amundson said.
“This is high for this type of intersection,” Amundson said.
With the traffic problems, pedestrian safety also is an issue of concern, he said.
“It’s kind of scary,” Amundson said of the common unmarked crossing route. “Everyone’s kind of left to their own devices.”
Aside from a signal light, Amundson said another option is to prohibit left turns onto Summit from Park or during certain times of the day. Adding any restriction to the intersection seems it would move the problems elsewhere, said Jack Postlewaite, Third Ward resident.
Amundson said he realizes the intersection is a problem.
“I know we’re just one accident away from someone saying, ‘Something needs to be done,'” Amundson said.
Third Ward members also discussed parking problems during class days, including cars parked in front of driveways, double-parked while waiting for an open spot and driving recklessly while looking for a space.
“It’s just insane,” said Susan Forcier, a Third Ward resident who sees much of the reckless driving from her Garfield Avenue home.
Ken Fulgione, Third Ward chairman, said he doesn’t have a problem with students parking in front of his house but he must request tow trucks for parked vehicles blocking his driveway.
Another resident, Maria Henly, said she does not like the amount of cars clogging the streets in search of open spots. The school’s parking permits, which don’t guarantee a spot, are like “hunting licenses,” she said.
“So many people hunting for spots that don’t exist is part of the problem,” Henly said.
Human nature is to blame, Soll said, because the university has over 1,000 parking permit spaces available and its Water Street lot rarely is at full parking capacity.
Adding more university parking spaces at a remote lot would not help the problem, Soll said.
“I’m sure there isn’t anything the university can do to solve the problem,” Soll said, adding that any solutions would involve city streets.