Ohio University will begin construction in October to open the infamous Bobcat Lane, which connects Oxbow Trail to Richland Avenue, by December
We looked out of our third-floor Baker University Center window Monday to the sight of cars backed up from the crosswalk at the foot of the building to the Aquatic Center down the road.
Add some honking and hollering, and a student on his or her way to class could have mistaken the logjam for downtown Nelsonville before the bypass was built.
If all goes as planned, however, congestion at the bottom of Baker Center will begin to disperse starting later this year.
Ohio University will begin construction in October to open the infamous Bobcat Lane, which connects Oxbow Trail to Richland Avenue, by December.
In our report on the topic Monday, we quoted Joseph Lalley, OU senior associate vice president for Information Technologies and Administrative Services, who said that the timeline is only tentative at this point. The road will be open for a six-month trial run.
We’re glad the road is finally opening — albeit, on a temporary basis — but are still concerned with the amount of time and resources dedicated by Athens and university officials to get to this point.
Discussions about the road began to bubble shortly after its construction in 2008. It has since been a hot topic for the city of Athens, Student Senate and those looking to quickly enter or exit the Baker parking garage.
Local officials have cited pedestrian safety as the main reason for keeping the roadway closed. But we have seen little evidence that opening the road would present a safety hazard.
That’s not to mention that opening the road will likely alleviate some agitation that drivers experience with the current congestion around the Baker crosswalk.
Simply put, it’s puzzling as to why officials have spent the better part of six years debating whether to open the dead-end street.
For us — and many other students, we imagine — the choice should be simple: open the road to through traffic, and keep it open, addressing problems that arise in stride.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post’s executive editors.
