It is a wonderful time to be in Chapel Hill — from spooky decorations on Franklin Street to the leaves changing around the Old Well. Clearly, now is the time to compose the best Instagram photos and explore this wonderful area.
But doing this by car is boring, expensive and can often lead to missing the best parts of the town. While cars are a fast way to get from point A to point B, life should be more than convenience.
Walking is the cheapest and easiest way to explore. And if you are going long distances, taking the free public transit is a great alternative. You see more, for starters, but you also decrease the impact driving has on the local environment (both social and ecological).
While gasoline is pretty cheap now, who wants to pay for it? That money could be spent on coffee or alcohol. Kids, don’t drink and drive.
While the town is miles ahead of many other North Carolina cities, it still can use some improvements to ensure students, staff and townsfolk feel safer.
First, more crosswalks on major roads would be appreciated. Anyone who has ever crossed Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard knows the Frogger-esque gambit. There is a lack of crosswalks at the bus station, which compels students to cross the road in unsafe ways. Even if one walks to the crosswalk, many cars ignore the flashing lights, leaving the pedestrian terrified.
The scene is pretty common: a student spends late night studying and tries to cross the street, car does not see pedestrian, car swerves and honks, student feels unsafe.
While most occurrences end up with a mildly scared pedestrian and an annoyed driver, the fear is still awful.
On streets like these, the town should place a priority on ensuring that signs to stop or yield are clearly visible and that drivers are well aware of the fact that people are crossing.
