Ursinus College Lighting the Way to Pedestrian Safety   

Motorists, residents and students can expect to see new lighting along Main Street in the Ursinus campus area by the end of November, all in an attempt to increase safety.  Twenty-one high-efficiency LED lights, matching lights already on campus, are being installed on Main Street between Ursinus’s Main entrance, near Fifth Avenue and Eighth Avenue.

Pedestrian safety has been a topic of discussion with officials from Ursinus College and other organizations, including the Collegeville Main Street Program (CMSP).  The CMSP, recently chosen as one of ten communities across the country to participate in a pedestrian safety program, formed a committee to identify safety issues and recommend solutions.  Improved lighting was one of the first concerns noted by the committee.  Kim Taylor, committee member and Ursinus College Director of Campus Safety, was pleased to immediately notify the committee that the lighting was to be installed.  “The lights are a great addition to our campus and I am sure it will help all members of our community.  Crossing Main Street, particularly after dark, has been difficult for everyone; pedestrians and drivers.  These lights will make a big difference and go a long way toward increasing safety.”

CMSP Manager, Linda Flederbach notes, “This is quite an investment into increasing the safety of those in the community.  Much is being done to improve the streetscape of Main Street; however, funding has not been secured to extend work past Fourth Avenue. We are extremely grateful that Ursinus has funded the installation of the new lights.”  The lights were purchased from local manufacturer, Spring City Lighting.  With installation, the project totals $85,000.  

Andrew Feick, Facilities Director at Ursinus points out that the new lighting is not the only measure being taken to increase safety in the area of the college. “The combination of the lights, PennDOT’s dropping the speed limit to 30 MPH, and looking toward the installation of decorative crosswalks between Fifth and Ninth Avenues, should do a lot to improve pedestrian safety on that stretch of Main Street.”

To learn more about the Main Street Program or to get involved with the pedestrian safety project, contact Linda Flederbach at (610) 454-1050 or e-mail manager@collegevilledevelopment.org. Information on improving pedestrian safety can be found at www.walkinginfo.org