The City of Delaware has installed crosswalk safety lights on South Liberty Street for the pedestrian crosswalks at the Oak Hill and Rowland Avenue intersections.
You must use the push-button walk mechanisms to activate the safety lighting. The lighting will activate immediately when the button is pushed.
As the days grow shorter and we walk and drive in the dark more frequently, please always use this new safety light to ensure motorists see you and stop to allow you to cross safely.
The OWU Department of Public Safety also recommends the following pedestrian safety protocols:
- Cross streets only at marked crosswalks or corners, and proceed only when the appropriate “walk” signal is displayed (if applicable).
- Look left, right, and left again before entering a crosswalk. Even if you have the right of way, check both ways to ensure that motorists see you and have stopped to allow you to cross.
- Make eye contact with drivers whenever possible before crossing the street and watch especially for vehicles that are turning or backing up.
- Do not use headphones, text, or talk on the telephone as you walk. You should always be able to hear, see, and quickly respond to what is going on around you.
- Be especially careful to look both ways when wearing a hooded jacket that covers your face and blocks your side vision.
- Walk with others whenever possible. If you have personal safety concerns, contact Public Safety at740-368-2222.
- Wear reflective clothing. For those walking in the dark, clothes with large reflective stripes are recommended. Drivers may not see you if you have only one or two small reflective patches on your clothing. Many backpacks and shoes also use reflective materials to add visibility.
Though winter is a few months away, I’d also like to share an email I received previously. The message was from a community member concerned about OWU student safety when city streets had become slick:
“[A] male student coming from campus toward the dorms … stepped in front of my 4000 lb. truck, and as I slid on the ice and sounded my horn, he pointed to the pedXing sign as if that would protect him.”
Please follow the guidelines above and take steps to protect yourself at all times, including using the new crosswalk lighting on South Liberty Street. Thank you for your time and attention.
Robert A. Wood.
Director of Public Safety.
740 368-2222.