Student hit on Boston Ave.

A student was hit by a car yesterday while crossing Boston Avenue, between Anderson and Brown and Brew. Junior Jodi Gilman was taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital after she was hit by a vehicle driven by another junior but was not admitted.

The intersection at Boston Ave. and College Ave. continuous to prove hazardous, as it has been the site of at least one other accident this fall. It is the second time in less than two years that a student has been hit at the intersection.

The accident occurred around noon, when a student driving a silver car north on College Ave. made a right turn onto Boston Ave and collidedwith Gilman.

Gilman, who was released from the emergency room after some tests were run, does not blame the driver. "The intersection is dangerous and that it's really hard for both drivers and pedestrians to see each other," she said.

Traffic patterns at the intersection are complicated by the fact that the traffic lights installed this summer are not fully operational yet, only flashing red and yellow. Personnel in the Medford mayor's office attributed the delay in turning on the lights to "conflicting traffic patterns."

The traffic lights will be fully operational by next Friday, according to Joseph D'Angelo, a district construction engineer in the Massachusetts Highway Department. Problems with electrical writing often postpone the activation of the traffic lights, D'Angelo said.

After two students were hit at the intersection in Feb. 2001, Tufts officials began exploring plans to ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians. The University's plans coincided with the need to perform maintenance on underground utility lines, and construction began about seven months ago. Portions of Boston Ave. and College Ave. near the intersection were repaved in May.

Students have long been wary when crossing the street near Curtis Hall, but this year students say the flashing traffic lights confuse both drivers and pedestrians, making the intersection even more dangerous. "I fear for my life at least twice a day when I cross that intersection," sophomore Julia Thompson said. "I was happy to see the light there but confused why they never got it up and running."

Paul Gere, the director of Medford Public Works, maintains that it is a "well-designed intersection" despite the accident. "I know that there are problems right now, but the lights haven't been turned on," he said.

Staff members in the Medford Public Works office have walked the intersection with Tufts police to garner their approval of its safety, Gere said.