Street Development Increases Risk For Accidents

Commercial parking lot is in high demandSophie MattsonTHE SANTA CLARANovember 14, 2013[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he construction taking place on The Alameda in front of the row of restaurants near campus has created significant frustration among students. “There used to be a stop sign and two pedestrian walkways, which was an accident waiting to happen,” said senior Selma Sahmanovic. “It is also annoying to have to drive all the way to the right, in front of (Ike’s Place), in order to get onto The Alameda.”According to Director of Public Works for the city of Santa Clara, Rajeev Batra, a commercial parking lot is being constructed because there is a lack of sufficient parking, forcing individuals to take up street parking in the residential area. The project, which was spurred by years of complaints from nearby residents, is expected to be completed in February 2014. Although the construction project is vital to the area, the undertaking has placed drivers and pedestrians at risk of vehicular accidents. One lane is blocked off with cones and requires a sharp turn into the right turn lane, which can catch individuals off guard.  Sophomore Jacob Carrasco said that he is also disgruntled by the construction since there is now no street parking in front of the shops, which requires him to park a few blocks away or walk to the location. Batra said that, to his knowledge, there have been no complaints about the labeling of the construction site, and that an inspector is out on the construction site every day to make sure that proper procedures are being followed.Freshman Matt Kalbrosky, who drives himself to his off-campus job, said that when the construction first began, the site was much more dangerous than it is now because it was marked with significantly fewer labels and cones. Kalbrosky said it is still a hazard to drivers. Besides inadequacies in labeling, there is also a concern that the debris from the construction site is not being contained properly. “It is dangerous to bike in that area because the sidewalks are always blocked off by construction,” said sophomore Jaime Loo, who rides a bicycle to school. “Rocks and other materials have popped my bike tires, so I take the longer route to stay on the safe side.”  Contact Sophie Mattson at smattson@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852. Taneisha Figueroa contributed to this report.