Students’ Association passed a bill during Wednesday’s Congress session to assist in funding the refurbishment of speed bumps around campus.
Sean Branchaw, senior mathematics major from Derwood, Maryland, has been pushing for legislation on speed bumps for the last few months. Branchaw’s “bill to cooperatively fund the removal of speed bumps and the installation of speed humps on select campus roads” passed unanimously in Wednesday’s session.
In conjunction with Facilities and Campus Management and ACU Police Department, Congress allocated $2,000 from the Congressional Project Fund and any funds left over from student groups at the end of the semester to fund the removal of current speed bumps and install new ones. Facilities and campus management will contribute $3,100, and ACUPD will contribute $1,000 to the project.
“The reason we worked with ACUPD is because they know where the problem areas on campus are,” Branchaw said. “The majority of fender benders on campus happen in parking lots.”
The installation of speed humps in problem areas should aid in creating a smoother flow of traffic and make driving safer throughout campus. Speed humps, Branchaw said, are more gradual than traditional speed bumps. They are easier to drive over, there is less risk of damaging one’s vehicle and, if driven over at an appropriate speed, the driver can go over the speed hump without jolting the car.
“I think this is really monumental because SA is really getting in on this business, and that’s really exciting,” Branchaw said. “It shows a great partnership between the administration and SA and them willing to work with us to address issues that we care about.”
With the passage of the bill, work will begin during winter break to remove speed bumps on each side of Teague Boulevard, on the south side of ACU Drive and at the northeast corner of Gardner Hall. One speed hump will be installed at each location, and the process should be complete by the time students return.
“I love that we can take care of stuff that affects students daily but aren’t always on the forefront of the administrations radar,” Branchaw said.
