Pedestrians at risk: Bureaucracy preventing pedestrian safety improvements

The blame-gaming and bureaucratic heel-dragging that has stalled efforts to address pedestrian crossing at N.C. 54 need to stop.

The death of Gloria Espinosa Balderas on Dec. 11 — killed while crossing N.C. 54 in front of University Lake Apartments — was the fifth pedestrian death in Chapel Hill in 2008.

Given the consistent complaints and numerous proposals to improve the situation it is disappointing how little has actually been done.

Even though pedestrian warning signs were put up in late 2003 complaints about pedestrians crossing dangerously on the highway have continued.

This should hardly come as a surprise.

Because there is no crosswalk on N.C. 54 within three-quarters of a mile from University Lake and Carolina Apartments ­— home to many construction workers baby sitters and others who rely on buses and walking to get to work — the result is scores of people sprinting across four lanes of high speed traffic.

It's a wonder more haven't been killed or injured.

And it's beyond frustrating that state and local officials are blaming each other for the lack of significant action on N.C. 54.

Chapel Hill officials say they are waiting on the results of a report from the UNC Highway Safety Research Center before taking action to address the problem.

But they have been waiting a year and a half for those results.

Plenty of practical ideas have been proposed such as installing a traffic signal building a high visibility crosswalk and relocating the bus stops to a less hazardous location.

It would be nice to see some initiative taken to put at least one of these projects into motion.

State and local bureaucracy can certainly be a nightmare when it comes to getting things done but improving the conditions for pedestrians on N.C. 54 is one area where officials have sat on their hands for too long.