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TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021
VOLUME 115 ISSUE 34
Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida
Not officially associated with the University of Florida
Waldo Road poses threat to Gainesville’s homeless pedestrians A TOTAL OF 38 PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS WERE HIT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS
By Juliana Ferrie Alligator Staff Writer
Sam Schaffer // Alligator Staff
Josh Ketterer, 29, attempts a skate trick called a “50/50” at the Gentleman’s Club, a DIY skate park in Gainesville, Florida on Sunday, May 30, 2021. The skate park was built by skaters on private property and the city has ordered it to be torn down by June 20. Read this story on page 8.
High speeds on Waldo Road in Gainesville turn crossing four lanes into a treacherous journey. Twenty-one pedestrians and 17 bicyclists were hit on the state road from January 2016 to March 2021, according to data from the Gainesville Police Department. Three additional pedestrians were hit in the parking lot of the Circle K at 20 NE Waldo Road during the same time frame. Eight pedestrians and bicyclists died in the crashes. Seven more suffered incapacitating injuries — injuries that kept them from doing normal activities. The road poses a specific threat to Gainesville’s homeless population. Executive Director Jon DeCarmine leads GRACE Marketplace, a homeless resource center near the intersection of Waldo and 39th Avenue offering shelter, meals, job training and other services. “Homeless people spend most of the time that they’re actually homeless as pedestrians,” DeCarmine said. “Anytime you see an issue with pedestrian safety or dangerous traffic, that’s going to affect people who are on their feet or on bicycles more than it is other folks.” Ten pedestrian and bicyclist victims listed GRACE Marketplace as their address in GPD Florida Traffic Crash Reports.
Fran Birch, a 70-year-old GRACE resident, said she just wants the road to be safe. Around a year ago, a friend of Birch’s was hit and killed on Waldo while crossing the street, she said. “We don’t need anybody else being hit by a car,” Birch said. Rose McDonald-Loston, known as “Granny” by the Gainesville community, was one of the road’s victims. In 2020, she was killed in a hit-and-run on Waldo Road at 64 years old. GRACE residents witness dangerous driving on Waldo Road every day. Russell Lee, a 57-year-old GRACE resident, said people run red lights, change lanes carelessly and don’t stop for ambulances. He said the Gainesville City Commission’s ban on standing in narrow medians, which went into effect Feb. 8, keeps him and others safe. A similar countywide ordinance passed March 9. Waldo is not the only road threatening pedestrians. This year, University Avenue drew attention after cars hit and killed two UF students — Margaret “Maggie” Paxton and Sophia Lambert — within about a month of each other on the road. In January 2020, UF student Denise Griffiths was hit at a crosswalk on East University Avenue near Cone Park Branch Library. She later died from her injuries. Following pressure from parents and students, the city made the road safer by installing four temporary
SEE WALDO, PAGE 5
West University Avenue changes prioritize pedestrian safety
Changes made by FDOT included a speed limit decrease, license plate readers, increased police patrols and crosswalk enhancements By Isabella Douglas & Phong Huynh Alligator Staff Writers
After several pedestrian deaths in the last year, West University Avenue traffic is slowing down with new safety measures. Nearly a year after three deadly accidents took place on West University Avenue, the city of Gainesville is working with UF and the Florida Department of Transportation to address traffic safety near campus. Efforts include decreased speed limits, license plate readers, LED message boards, increased police patrols, signal retiming and crosswalk enhancements.
SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Not a bad week
Juniordescription Story Sam Rifficefinish tookwith home comma, the individual pg# singles national title Friday after his Gators won the team championshiop May 22. Read this story on pg. 11
On May 24, FDOT decreased the street’s speed limit from 30 to 25 mph and installed speed tables earlier this month. The deaths of two UF students only a month apart sparked calls for reform from various advocacy groups. The Landscape Master Plan included constructing a pedestrian walkway at Newell’s Gateway, Linda Dixon, UF’s director of planning, said. The walkway will be used by pedestrians coming to and from campus and will be located at the intersection of Newell Drive and West University Avenue. According to a UF update, construction will begin in August. Some students view the progress on West University Avenue as a step in the right direc-
tion for pedestrian safety. “Little things like that are gonna go a long way in terms of safety measures for West University and making it more safe for pedestrians to walk by,” Kelly Young, a 23-year-old Santa Fe political science student, said. Young anticipates more progress for future traffic developments, and he thinks people should resort to more sustainable options of transportation, expanding RTS routes and making the city more bike-friendly. Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe hosted “Bike with the Mayor” on May 1, where Poe and about 20 community members biked 3.15 miles through the city to discuss infrastructure changes and pedestrian safety.
Santa Fe College to ditch masks
New COVID-19 policies follow UF in making face coverings optional, pg. 4
Payments for former prisoners
Mayor Poe is working on a guaranteed income system for formerly incarcerated people, pg. 4
Ewen Thomson, a 71-year-old Gainesville Citizens for Active Transportation board of directors member and participant of the bike event, said he believes sustained advocacy from the community will bring positive change in the future. “If people can get in there with a unified message and just get the word out there, things happen,” he said. At the end of the ride, the mayor emphasized the need for collaboration between organizations and the community to effect change. “It’s not enough to say Gainesville or Alachua County; they [FDOT] are the ones that are going to have to do it,” Poe said. “The statelevel needs to hear. It’s not just a few groups but a movement.” In connection with GCAT and Florida Not One More, a student advocacy group, UF presi-
SEE TRAFFIC, PAGE 5
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