Bright orange construction flags sitting in barrels on either side of the crosswalk across Jefferson Park Avenue behind Cabell Hall are only a temporary solution to a bigger traffic problem at the crosswalk.
The city placed the flags at the location last Wednesday as part of an effort by the City of Charlottesville and the University to make the crosswalk safer for pedestrians.
The flags are intended for people to carry across the street to increase their visibility.
The extra safety measures come after English Prof. Cynthia Wall was hit by a car at approximately 7 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2002. The driver was heading west on JPA and had limited vision due to the setting sun, Charlottesville police said at the time of the accident.
Wall was transported to the University Medical Center, where she was treated and released.
Rebecca White, director of parking and transportation for the University, said plans to address the safety of the crosswalk had been "discussed on and off for several years."
White added that the Sept. 11 accident attracted more immediate attention to the issue.
The current initiative is a short-term solution, according to Mary Hughes, a University landscape architect.
"We are looking into the possibility of moving the crosswalk to a safer location," Hughes said.
City Spokesman Maurice Jones said a likely place for the new crosswalk is in front of the steps behind Cabell Hall.
The new location behind Cabell gives eastbound cars more opportunity to see pedestrians before reaching the crosswalk.
Jones added that the city hopes to complete the project within the next two months.
The city and the University will share the cost of thecrosswalk, but have not yet worked out the details, Hughes said.
The new crosswalk will not be the final step in increasing safety on JPA, she added.
The South Lawn Project includes "bridging over Jefferson Park Avenue in some way," she said. The project does not yet have a date for completion.
There are mixed reactions to the flags.
"What's been interesting is that people are using them," Jones said.
But third-year College student Jenny Ackroyd said she isn't so sure.
"I think that [the flags are] ridiculous," she said. "I don't think that's the best way to make the crossroad safer."
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