Last night, a group of Penn State students stood on the corner of Park and North Atherton in State College. They passed out brightly colored flyers to passing pedestrians that said, “Did you know there have been three fatalities since 2014 on the street YOU are crossing? Help us find out why.”
Student Erica Avallone explained the State College police reached out to her public relations class to help launch a campaign for pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
“We’re really hoping to change the culture of pedestrian and vehicle safety around campus,” she said.
The flyer included a link to a survey, which State College police chief Tom King thinks will be essential in understanding why these accidents keep happening.
King said, “We’re hoping to find out what their experience has been, good or bad. So this is one of many approaches to try to better understand why we’ve had serious incidents including 2 fatalities at this exact intersection over the past 15 months.”
The State College Borough Council plans to discuss possible solutions in their next meeting to help protect drivers and pedestrians at this intersection.
