ALL RIGHT, JORDAN, SEE YOU IN A BIT. WELL, HERE’S ONE THING YOU MIGHT NOT THINK ABOUT WHEN ENTERING COLLEGE. THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU’LL SPEND WALKING. A STUDY PUBLISHED IN THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH EDUCATION CLOCKED STUDENTS AND FOUND THEY WERE WALKING OVER 11,000 STEPS ON AVERAGE A WEEKDAY WHILE AWAY AT SCHOOL. A STUDENT AT JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY BEGAN CLASSES TODAY, AND THEY’RE RETURNING WITH AN EVEN SAFER WAY TO WALK FROM CLASS TO CLASS. WVTM 13 ZOE BLAIR LIVE IN LOCAL FROM CAMPUS. WHAT IMPROVEMENTS? ZOE AND WHY WERE THEY NEEDED? GUY THINGS LIKE WIDER SIDEWALKS AND TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES TO HELP IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, SOME OF THAT WORK IS STILL GOING ON. JSU POLICE CHIEF TELLS ME THIS WORK IS JUST PART OF THEIR PUBLIC SAFETY PLAN. PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IS VERY IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST 6 OR 7 YEARS, WE’VE HAD A NUMBER OF NEAR MISSES IN THIS CORRIDOR OF HIGHWAY 21 AND HIGHWAY 204, AS WELL AS TWO PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES. ONE OF THOSE FATALITIES HAPPENED LESS THAN THREE YEARS AGO, CLAIMING THE LIFE OF JSU SENIOR LEAH TARVIN, JSU POLICE CHIEF MICHAEL BARTON SAYS THEY’VE BEEN WORKING TO MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS FOR CLOSE TO SEVEN YEARS, BUT NOW THEY’RE WORKING WITH THE MEMORY OF TARVIN IN MIND. LEAH WAS WAS A PRECIOUS INDIVIDUAL, A CRIMINAL JUSTICE MAJOR. AND SO WE HAD A LOT OF THINGS IN COMMON IN THAT, AND IT HAD GOTTEN TO KNOW EACH OTHER. THE POINT FOR THAT IS TO KNOW THAT LEAH’S LEGACY LIVES ON AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THESE IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS WORK, THAT WE REMEMBER HER AS ALL THIS WORK IS BEING DONE AND STUDENTS ARE HAPPY TO SEE SOMETHING IS BEING DONE TO HELP, ESPECIALLY FROM LAST YEAR. I DO REMEMBER IT WAS LIKE PRETTY JUMBLED UP HERE. A LOT OF KIDS USE SCOOTERS AND BIKES AND EVERYTHING, SO BEING ABLE TO WIDEN THAT THE TRAFFIC IS NOT THE BEST GETTING TO AND FROM CLASS. BUT I’M GRATEFUL FOR THE IMPROVEMENT, BARTON SAYS. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. MORE IMPROVEMENTS WILL COME JUST DOWN THE ROAD. THERE’S A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. ALDOT HAS IDENTIFIED A LOT OF AREAS THAT WE CAN WORK WITHIN, AND SO WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR STATE AND LOCAL MUNICIPAL PARTNERS TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE. THEY’RE NOT JUST MAKING THESE IMPROVEMENTS. THEY’RE ALSO EMPHASIZING TO PEDESTRIANS THE IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOWING TRAFFIC LAWS, MAKING SURE YOU CROSS AT DESIGNATED SPOTS, AND WEARING REFLECTIVE GEAR AT NIGHT SO THAT CARS CAN SEE YOU. LI
Jacksonville State University enhances campus safety with new pedestrian measures
Updated: 4:41 PM CDT Aug 21, 2025
Jacksonville State University is implementing new safety measures, including wider sidewalks and traffic calming devices, to enhance pedestrian safety as students return to campus for the new academic year.The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) approved an $800,000 Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) grant, with the University providing $200,000 in matching funds for the $1,066,769.95 project.JSU’s police chief, Michael Barton, emphasized the importance of pedestrian safety, noting past incidents in the area. “Pedestrian safety is very important. You know, over the past 6 or 7 years, we’ve had a number of near-misses in this corridor of Highway 21 and Highway 204, as well as two pedestrian fatalities,” Barton said. One of these fatalities occurred less than three years ago, claiming the life of JSU senior Leah Tarvin. Barton said the improvements are being made with Tarvin’s memory in mind. “Leah was a precious individual, a criminal justice major. And so we had a lot of things in common in that, and had gotten to know each other. The point for that is to know that Leah’s legacy lives on as we continue to do these improvements and this work, that we remember her as all this work is being done,” he said.Students are welcoming the changes. JSU student Jordan expressed gratitude for the improvements, saying, “Especially from last year, I do remember it was, like, pretty general up here. A lot of kids on scooters and on bikes and everything. So being able to ride in that, the traffic is not the best. Getting to and from class. But I’m grateful for the improvements.”Barton said this is just the beginning, with more improvements planned. “There’s a strategic plan that we want to accomplish a lot of different things. ALDOT has identified a lot of areas that we can work with within. And so we continue to work with our state and local municipal partners to accomplish those,” he said. In addition to infrastructure changes, JSU is emphasizing the importance of pedestrians following traffic laws, crossing at designated spots, and wearing reflective gear at night to ensure visibility to drivers.
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. —
Jacksonville State University is implementing new safety measures, including wider sidewalks and traffic calming devices, to enhance pedestrian safety as students return to campus for the new academic year.
The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) approved an $800,000 Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) grant, with the University providing $200,000 in matching funds for the $1,066,769.95 project.
JSU’s police chief, Michael Barton, emphasized the importance of pedestrian safety, noting past incidents in the area.
“Pedestrian safety is very important. You know, over the past 6 or 7 years, we’ve had a number of near-misses in this corridor of Highway 21 and Highway 204, as well as two pedestrian fatalities,” Barton said.
One of these fatalities occurred less than three years ago, claiming the life of JSU senior Leah Tarvin. Barton said the improvements are being made with Tarvin’s memory in mind.
“Leah was a precious individual, a criminal justice major. And so we had a lot of things in common in that, and had gotten to know each other. The point for that is to know that Leah’s legacy lives on as we continue to do these improvements and this work, that we remember her as all this work is being done,” he said.
Students are welcoming the changes. JSU student Jordan expressed gratitude for the improvements, saying, “Especially from last year, I do remember it was, like, pretty general up here. A lot of kids on scooters and on bikes and everything. So being able to ride in that, the traffic is not the best. Getting to and from class. But I’m grateful for the improvements.”
Barton said this is just the beginning, with more improvements planned.
“There’s a strategic plan that we want to accomplish a lot of different things. ALDOT has identified a lot of areas that we can work with within. And so we continue to work with our state and local municipal partners to accomplish those,” he said.
In addition to infrastructure changes, JSU is emphasizing the importance of pedestrians following traffic laws, crossing at designated spots, and wearing reflective gear at night to ensure visibility to drivers.