A $500,000 sidewalk project connecting campus to College Park Apartments and Richland Town Centre was to start construction in September.

We have said that a sidewalk to improve pedestrian safety is long overdue. However, no progress has been announced since a premature groundbreaking ceremony in May. 

We realize there may be some understandable reasons why construction could not start on time, but people continue to regularly walk on Schoolhouse Road to get to campus.

It’s not safe for students to be walking on roads, especially during the winter season.

Had the project been completed by December as originally planned, people would be able to have a safer walk to stores, such as Walmart, especially when the campus shuttle is not an option.

Safety needs to be a priority. Pedestrians are put at risk if they decide to walk to Richland Town Centre to get anything they may need.

Schoolhouse Road is narrow and is not suitable for traveling by foot due to the mixture of busy traffic and icy weather. A car turning onto Theatre Drive may lose control and swerve, possibly hitting a pedestrian.

We believe that adding a stronger emphasis to the project will allow some higher measure of safety.

It is important for students not to have to endure yet another winter spent trudging through snow while making the trek from campus to College Park Apartments or Walmart.

We think that getting construction for the first phase underway before envisioning other phases would be a step in the right direction.

The project was meant to connect our community with the rest of Richland Township which has about 12,000 people.

The support and relationships that a strong community bond provides are beneficial to an individual’s growth, and keeping students safe should always be a priority.

We believe that putting a greater effort toward strengthening our relationship with the community will lead to a more unified set of values, goals and successful future endeavors. We would be better neighbors by organizing this project.