Julia Wildman

The crosswalk where the student was struck in broad daylight. The flashing lights are supposed to alert drivers of the presence of pedestrians. This is a common traffic calming device in high pedestrian areas.

A student pedestrian has been hospitalized after being struck by a car while crossing 12th St. The student was utilizing the crosswalks with signals between Texas Avenue and Mesa Avenue in the early afternoon of August 25.

According to reports from KREX, the car had a large hole in the windshield from the collision. The student was taken to the hospital having sustained serious injuries. Their status is currently unknown.

Sophomore vinology student Tyler Coffman was near the scene of the crash as it unfolded. He said there were no indications that the driver attempted to slow down prior to the collision.

“What I did see is no skidmarks and I didn’t hear any braking,” Coffman said. “He wasn’t responsive until the ambulance got there. I thought he was dead. So did everyone else.”

This crash is the most recent of many along the 12th St. corridor between North and Patterson. Last February, a bicyclist was killed after being struck by a car while riding along 12th St. Both that crash and the recent one involving a student were deemed accidents with no alcohol or foul-play involved.

12th St. is a high volume pedestrian area as many students, staff and faculty park on the east side of the street and cross to reach the campus each day. There are hundreds of parking spaces on the east side of 12th St. for campus as well as ample on-street parking that many campus members utilize. As the school continues to grow, pedestrian activity is expected to increase across 12th St.

According to data from the City of Grand Junction, about 18,000 vehicles use the corridor daily. Based on the Regional Transportation Planning Office (RTPO), in the urban area of Grand Junction, between 2016 and 2022, over 400 people were killed or seriously injured in the result of a car crash.

Colorado issues the highest amount of traffic violations for distracted or reckless driving in the entire nation according to Consumer Affairs. In response, at the start of the year, legislation was passed that made the use of a cellphone for any reason other than contacting emergency services a traffic violation. Fines for a violation start at $75.

The speed limit on 12th St. is 35 mph and statistics indicate that about 30% of the time, a crash with a pedestrian will result in a fatality. As speed increases, the likelihood of fatality increases, especially when considering the age of the pedestrian. Older bodies are far less likely to survive than younger bodies.

Coffman said he thinks the speed limit is too high for how many pedestrians use the road. He believes it should be lowered to 25 mph.

“There’s no reason for the speed limit to be 35 on that road,” Coffman said.

To combat these issues, CMU collaborated with the city’s transportation and engineering department to build the Rapid Flashing Beacon (RFB) crosswalks in three spots along 12th a few years ago. The city found the best placement and CMU purchased and now maintains the RFBs.

A pedestrian crossing the street is able to press a button to activate flashing lights while they cross to alert drivers of their presence. The student who was struck was using one of these crosswalks.

Recently, the City of Grand Junction struck down traffic-calming measures on 4th St and 5th St south of Grand Avenue due to public outcry at the changes. The measures included making the lanes more narrow and reducing the car lanes to one.

The original goal of the reconfiguration was to reduce car speeds through the downtown area. Main Street is one of the highest volume pedestrian areas in the entire region and both 4th St. and 5th St. have much lower daily vehicle volumes. According to the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the traffic calming measures are one of the most effective ways to reduce car speeds and increase overall roadway safety.