Turn the lights on... now

We were considering reprinting our editorial from last month on the College Ave.-Boston Ave. intersection in this space, as it is apparent that no one has heeded its words. Just a few months after traffic lights were installed at the intersection, one student has been hit by a car. Medford had previously delayed the installation by months in order to work on utility services underneath the roadway. But even now, after the completion of the project, the lights are not yet operational, and the intersection remains a grave safety hazard.

Tufts needs to focus its primary attention on ensuring that the lights in the intersection are turned on as soon as possible. The city blames "conflicting traffic patterns" for the (hopefully) temporary flashing lights that, along with often-blocked lanes, make driving on Boston or College Ave. a nightmare. Various timelines have been given for an ultimate turn-on date, but the project's recent history should demonstrate that delays are far from uncommon.

Regardless of the reason for the delay, Tufts needs to seriously pressure city hall to complete the transition to fully functional traffic lights. It is by far the most serious safety concern at its largest campus, and the University needs to do all it can to prevent the worthless and dangerous flashers from being on one day longer than is necessary.

It is true that Tufts doesn't run the city of Medford and cannot simply dictate instructions regarding the intersection. There is little more the University can do if it has already tried in vain to speed up the project. But Tufts should be willing to station its own police officers at the intersection if possible to bring some order to the streets.

This time, the student involved in the accident apparently has only minor injuries. But in February 2001, two other students that were hit by a van while crossing Boston Ave. were told that they were extremely lucky. If the vehicle had been moving slightly faster, the victims were told they would have gone under the wheels instead of thrown over the hood.

Next time, it is very possible that a student could be seriously injured or killed. How many accidents will it take to convince someone to switch the traffic lights on?