MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin has installed new crosswalk lights and pedestrian signs on Mount Pelia Road to support safer and more predictable crossing behavior for pedestrians.
Mount Pelia Road provides access to multiple high-traffic campus buildings, including the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center and the Boling University Center.
Following a review of foot traffic and roadway conditions that impact visibility and driver awareness, the decision to enhance safety measures on Mount Pelia Road was made by university leadership.
Dr. Michael O’Neill, director of public safety, worked in collaboration with university officials during the development of these safety improvements.
“The location sees frequent pedestrian crossings, especially during peak campus activity, which made it a strong candidate for enhanced warning features,” he said.
When using these crosswalks, pedestrians should press the activation button to ensure that signage lighting turns on to signal drivers of a pedestrian crossing. These lights are not motion-activated and require that pedestrians push the activation button.
To ensure safe crossing, pedestrians should wait until approaching traffic is stopped before stepping into the roadway.
“Put the phone down and keep earbuds low enough to hear traffic when crossing,” O’Neill said. “Don’t assume the driver sees you.”
O’Neill added that drivers must watch for flashing lights and pedestrians, slow down as they approach the crosswalk, yield completely to any pedestrians in the crosswalk and never pass a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian.
For more information about UT Martin public safety, visit www.utm.edu/publicsafety.
For more information about UT Martin, visit www.utm.edu or call 1-800-829-UTM1 (-8861).
Photo – A UT Martin student is shown making use of a crosswalk on Mount Pelia Road. New crosswalk signs along the street will have flashing lights when they are activated by pedestrians. Other crosswalks along the street are indicated by the yellow “Pedestrian Crossing” signs.