Orange construction barrels and road closure signs are nothing new to Kent State’s campus since the redevelopment of downtown began. However, no matter all of the new bells and whistles added, including the Lester A. Lefton Esplanade, university and city officials have yet to address the safety of the campus’ current intersections and crosswalks.

While numerous intersections need revamped across campus, the Summit and Lincoln street intersection is often the one leaving us white-knuckled, gripping the wheel as we try to make it to the Starbucks and Chipotle on front campus.

The lack of a working crosswalk at the Summit and Lincoln street intersection makes it nearly impossible for students to cross from the Province, Eagle’s Landing or any of the houses on the far side of Lincoln Street. Most students are forced to wait at the four-stop intersection for weeks while cars continue to not let them cross. But the daring often end up weaving in and out of cars trying to make it to class on time – a practice that’s going to get them or the motorists flying down Summit Street’s hill seriously injured.

But why wait until the worst happens to make a needed change? This intersection and the adjacent roads haven’t been updated since the ‘70s, and it’s not as if fender-benders aren’t frequent.

We’re not asking for the university to build a vaulted walkway for students to walk on. We’re not asking for motorists to adhere to the Vancouver method of driving in which pedestrians simply point and all motorists stop and let them cross. We’re just asking for an evaluation of current pedestrian and motor traffic. We don’t have to ask for the change. The numbers gathered from the evaluation will speak for themselves.

In the mean time, be smart. Look both ways before you sprint across the street to class. Don’t ride your bike into a fleet of oncoming traffic. And don’t speed.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.