Perhaps a prayer tonight

[jsglow]

As you may have heard, two students were hit by a motorist and seriously injured this morning about 9 am.  Attached is communication from Chris Miller to the Marquette community.  Let's keep the victims and their families in our prayers.

http://marquetteu.tumblr.com/post/35571275938/marquette-students-involved-in-accident

[Goose]

+1

Hope for quick recoveries for the girls.

[muwarrior97]

+1

Hope for quick recoveries for the girls.

Amen to that, MU prayers out to them

[radome]

Yes, absolutely prayers and it is time to close Wis Ave btwn 10th and 16th - I know that this happened on 17th but ...

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Yes, absolutely prayers and it is time to close Wis Ave btwn 10th and 16th - I know that this happened on 17th but ...

How would closing WI ave down have prevented 2 girls on a sidewalk from getting hit?  I could see if they were running across the street or in the cross walk by the library, but some drunk fool can drive a car on any sidewalk and hit somebody.

[RideMyBuycks]

How would closing WI ave down have prevented 2 girls on a sidewalk from getting hit?  I could see if they were running across the street or in the cross walk by the library, but some drunk fool can drive a car on any sidewalk and hit somebody.

They can't if there isn't a road running parallel to that sidewalk.

[Brewtown Andy]

Yes, absolutely prayers and it is time to close Wis Ave btwn 10th and 16th - I know that this happened on 17th but ...

The reconstruction of the Marquette Interchange effectively ended that discussion.

[GGGG]

It's an urban campus.  Not exactly sure what you can do, especially the reaction that MU got the first time it was proposed.  It's not going to happen.  There also isn't much you can do when someone decides to drive on a sidewalk.

I'm simply glad that they have slowed down Wells Street since my days on campus.  IMO, with it going one-way  east with no median, it was much more dangerous IMO than Wisconsin Avenue was.

[jsglow]

Couple of facts here.

- The driver was heading southbound on 17th.

- University officials complain mostly about traffic speed on both 16th and 17th. And while these students were on the sidewalk, two crosswalks on 16th Street (one midway between Clybourn and WI and one directly across from Caffrey's) remain challenging to say the least.

- MU and the City did excellent work in the last decade to cut down on jaywalking on both Wisconsin and Wells via the installation of barriers in the median.  Kids do now cross at the crosswalks; a sharp contrast to my days on campus many years ago.

[copious1218]

I assume if anyone has updates on the condition of these two, they'll keep us informed?

[GGGG]

Couple of facts here.

- The driver was heading southbound on 17th.

- University officials complain mostly about traffic speed on both 16th and 17th. And while these students were on the sidewalk, two crosswalks on 16th Street (one midway between Clybourn and WI and one directly across from Caffrey's) remain challenging to say the least.

- MU and the City did excellent work in the last decade to cut down on jaywalking on both Wisconsin and Wells via the installation of barriers in the median.  Kids do now cross at the crosswalks; a sharp contrast to my days on campus many years ago.

OK thanks.  So again, it is the excessive speed on the one way streets that could have been a problem.  It would be hard for Milwaukee to make 16th and 17th two way because of their ramps to and from I-94 though.  That should have been addressed with the Marquette Interchange re-d0.

[jsglow]

I assume if anyone has updates on the condition of these two, they'll keep us informed?

I have heard an unofficial update but believe it best to allow the university to comment, if and when appropriate.  I will say that both students remain hospitalized.

[Hey DeDe]

An update was given by the Journal Sentinel late yesterday afternoon: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/conditions-improving-for-marquette-students-hit-by-car-on-campus-fq7kohk-179170401.html

[copious1218]

Must have missed the update in the JS.  Thank you both.

[w0bbie]

OK thanks.  So again, it is the excessive speed on the one way streets that could have been a problem.  It would be hard for Milwaukee to make 16th and 17th two way because of their ramps to and from I-94 though.  That should have been addressed with the Marquette Interchange re-d0.

The interchange ramps connect with 10th and 11th (By Straz and Cobeen/Carpenter/Eckstein respectively), not 16th and 17th.  If I remember correctly, a student was hit in the crosswalk while crossing 10th two years ago, which reinforces the point that the one-ways are the biggest concern.

16th and 17th come together between Kilbourn and State, and combine to form a two-way 17th St. north of State.  I don't see why 16th and 17th couldn't be made two-way.  Although the Renee St. section (where 16th transitions to 17th)  would probably have to remain as a one-way to avoid a clusterfrack at that intersection.

[jsglow]

I'd personally support some blinking yellow crosswalk light on the two crossings I mentioned on 16th.  The key is to find a way to slow vehicles somewhat.  Of course none of this would have had a direct impact on yesterday's events where's there's still much to learn about the 'how and why'.

[Skatastrophy]

An update was given by the Journal Sentinel late yesterday afternoon: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/conditions-improving-for-marquette-students-hit-by-car-on-campus-fq7kohk-179170401.html

Yeah, that looks very similar to what the university posted to their blog that same night:

http://marquetteu.tumblr.com/post/35653806937/update-on-injured-students