Bicycles, skateboards and pedestrians seem to struggle to coexist in travel lanes on campus. The problem has little to do with physical conditions and more to do with the human condition. The solution, therefore, is to be better humans.
The problem is primarily an issue irritation and the occasional bump or bruise. People run into each other or have to spring out of the way to avoid being hit. Pedestrians may have to step quickly off the sidewalk to avoid collision with a bike or board rider.
Skateboarders routinely have to ditch their boards and sometimes just pick them up and walk because the crowd of pedestrians makes riding without collision an impossibility.
Wannabe skateboarders make everybody’s life difficult by not having the skill to stay on their board for more than a few seconds, thus creating traffic congestion and causing those around them to be on guard as to which way they may fall.
Some think bikes should be relegated to bike lanes only and Colorado Mesa University ought to return to the days when boards were banned on campus. Others think wider sidewalks are the solution. Perhaps specific paths throughout campus for those on wheels would lead to less congestion and collision.
In truth, while more area in which to travel may seem like it could be an answer, it only treats the symptom and not the disease. Even if short-term success is achieved, ultimately, the problem would still exist and potentially get worse.
For proof of this, consider the place on campus where the walking surface area is greatest: the quad. The wider path just causes everybody to spread out more and the result is an increase is collision potential.
Ironically, the narrower the path, the less likely there are to be incidents of collision or near collision. That’s because people are actually paying attention.
And that is why the solution revolves around people rather than physical conditions. The people on campus need to change if there is going to be a positive shift in traffic flow.
Before critics lose their minds and begin ranting about anti-CMU rhetoric, once more pouring out of The Criterion, they need to take a breath and relax. This article isn’t saying that only CMU people have a problem. All of modern society has the problem. But the focus here is moving freely in and around CMU.
It is easy to point fingers at others. Walkers can say that cyclists and skateboarders zip around campus without regard for those walking. Cyclists can point to the irregular speed of skateboarders and the chaotic walking patterns of pedestrians. Skateboarders can gripe about cyclists and pedestrians for similar reasons.
With few exceptions, most individuals consider everybody else to be at fault in a given contested situation.
Nobody really wants to take an inner look at how they may be contributing to the problem. As the hero of their own story, one of the hardest things an individual can do is recognize where they are the guilty party in any situation.
“He was wrong, she was wrong, they were wrong,” the person will say. Not often is it, “I was wrong.” Yet, when more than one individual is involved in a dispute, it is extremely unlikely any singular person is without fault or another holds the entire balance of the blame.
Rather than casting blame outwards, a wise person will instead look inwardly and assess what they personally did to contribute to the dispute and what they can do to avoid it in the future.
Each individual student, faculty and staff member can improve the traffic situation, by reflecting on their own behavior and changing it.
Pay attention and be courteous to others. That is it. That is the big amazing key to the whole situation. Basically, don’t be a selfish jerk.
Nobody is more special and important than anybody else. Everybody has somewhere to go and a limited time to get there. All of them matter.
The solution to the traffic problem is for people to remove themselves from their delusional state of mind where they are the only person on the planet that matters and show some consideration for their fellow human beings.
Remember that CMU is shared by thousands and always be willing to share it. Pay attention to where you are going and pay attention to others. Don’t ride or step directly into somebody else’s path and expect them to adjust course.
That’s just plain rude and declares to the world that you think you are so much better and more important than anybody else.
A little courtesy goes a long way. If everybody paid attention and was willing to be courteous to others, traffic would not be a problem. A lot of problems would disappear. Until then, irritation, congestion and collision will continue to occur no matter what rules or changes take place to counter the problem.
