Brandeis University’s campus is far more pedestrian friendly than it is motorist and cyclist friendly. That in mind, the presence of cars on campus locations other than Loop Road is quite the awkward sight. It is also unsafe. The university has not had many problems with pedestrian safety in the context of motorists and cyclists traversing campus, but other universities have. We cannot ignore that the threat they can pose is very real.

The grounds are complex and hard to navigate. Footpaths trunk all around. Vehicle operators are tasked with maneuvering on windy paths not designed for vehicles, navigating those paths and avoiding the many community members that walk them every day. If an operator is not careful, the danger of an accident increases exponentially.

Cyclists are no exception to this problem. The dangers of bicycles and other similar technologies should not be underestimated. Erratic cyclists, especially those that are speeding down our rather steep paths, have the capacity to cause injuries in accidents.

Vehicles on campus have the capacity to not just threaten safety, but also obstruct essential traffic. Public safety and facilities vehicles cannot function correctly if there is a motorist trying to traverse the campus. When there is an emergency, there cannot be anything that obstructs the pathways that ambulances, fire trucks and public safety vehicles need to use. The same applies for any emergency that would require the swift arrival of facilities employees; if there are motorists obstructing the pathways, emergency personnel cannot get to the scene as quickly as possible.

In order to make sure that campus walkways are safe and unobstructed when the need arises, motorists and cyclists should not be allowed to traverse campus walkways. Campus walkways need to be pedestrian only, save essential vehicles. It only takes one erratic driver or cyclist to cause injury and irreparable harm. Loop Road has access to all parts of Brandeis’ main campus; there is no pressing need for any type of vehicle that is not essential to be roaming around normal pedestrian paths. It presents too much of a safety concern to allow.

Unfortunately, there are some parts of campus where the lack of proper walkways induces students to traverse major roadways, namely South Street.

South Street divides main campus and the Gosman/Mods area, with no crosswalks west of Squire Bridge. Those students who need to get to the Gosman area, especially those coming