The Nevada Sagebrush

In a Jan. 24 article, reporter Ben Miller examined the number of vehicle versus pedestrian accidents within the University of Nevada, Reno area. The story examined recent rumors about the safety of campus commuters and shed new light on a less-mentioned topic: the number of accidents in relation to the overall population of the area.

Since the article’s publication, the Sagebrush has received several responses from readers — some positive, some critical. One reader, Andrea Napoli, offered an interesting perspective that questioned the severity of the issue and how we covered it:

“Since other areas of Reno are considered more dangerous for pedestrians than the university, that should make us feel ok about the conditions on N. Virginia through campus? This mentality of ‘a few kills is no big deal because it could be worse, just look at other areas of town’ is killing us, literally. North Virginia is THE thoroughfare through campus with thousands of people crossing and walking/biking along it year-round. That said, in a university setting, the safety of pedestrians and cyclists should be given priority. Take a look at N. Virginia and you will see that safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclist are lacking. Where are the bike lanes? Reno has a university with zero bike lanes around it. What about sidewalks? The northern portion of N. Virginia along campus doesn’t even have sidewalks. Not to mention that section of road being FIVE lanes wide where cars drive 45mph. And this is considered ped/bike safe and accomodating for a roadway that bisects a university campus? Horsefeathers.”

Andrea raises a compelling point. Although the number of accidents relative to the beat’s population — a statistic in which UNR’s beat ranks much lower — is worth highlighting, it’s not meant to trivialize the alarming accident rate.

Instead, the story and its figures looked to revisit the anxiety and misinformation surrounding the university about the likelihood of someone being hit by a vehicle near campus. And, in terms of calculating risks, students are actually safer than recent events suggest. Furthermore, the story explained how beats become more at risk as a result of dangerous hot spots — in UNR’s case, Sutro and East Ninth streets and North Virginia and Ninth streets.

In order to curb this issue, more specific actions need to be taken. This is what the Sagebrush called for in its Nov. 15 staff editorial, where we pushed for more crosswalks and reduced speed limits. Widening bike lanes near the university is another idea worth entertaining.

In all, the severity of the issue was not being questioned; the public’s perception of the topic was.

The Nevada Sagebrush can be reached at editor@nevadasagebrush.com.

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