By Hai-Ching Wang 

The University of Maryland Police Department recently increased the surveillance of jaywalkers at the intersection of Campus Drive and Regents Drive, generating student frustration. 

UMPD began assigning officers to the intersection to warn students against jaywalking. Madison McKenney, a freshman international business major, recalled her experience in and out of class near the intersection. 

“It’s going on in front of one of my classes… when I leave the physics building by ESJ… They [UMPD] have megaphones and they’re screaming at people.”

When asked about her experience, McKenney noted that students have grown increasingly timid of jaywalking in the Campus and Regents Drive intersection. 

“Well, I was scared to cross the street. The sidewalks were so crowded because no one would cross the street. No one would jaywalk because the cops were just watching from every angle,” said McKenney

The stoplight at the Campus and Regents Drive intersection became fully operational this summer as a part of the Purple Line light-rail project. Since then, the University Division of Administration has requested students and micromobility riders alike to obey walk signals. However, students have expressed concern regarding the lack of notice from UMPD about the new regulations. 

“The intersection is new, and most people haven’t been on campus all summer, so they didn’t know that it even existed,” Kearra Grisby, a freshman philosophy major, said. “For them to just be outside, ticketing students the first week of school, is insane. You’re targeting students at that point.”

Lt. Rosanne Hoaas confirmed that UMPD has not given out any tickets for jaywalking; however, UMPD has “issue[ed] 15 warnings to pedestrians for failure to obey the signals.” 

Many students have expressed their frustration over the subject and argue that jaywalking is often the best course of action in an urgent situation. 

“I get that it’s illegal, technically, but there’s no other way to get across…It’s not like the cars are moving or anything. Both you and the cars are standing there for ten minutes straight,” Duru Aksoy, a freshman communications major, said. 

Aksoy also argues that rather than focusing on penalizing jaywalkers, UMPD should be using their time and resources to address other, more pressing crimes across campus. 

“I’m getting like millions of emails about voyeur this, voyeur incident that…you have bigger things to worry about than someone walking across a moving car,” said Aksoy. 

On the other hand, students like McKenney believe that the increase in surveillance from UMPD is justified and necessary. 

“I think, above all, they’re just trying to keep students safe from people who drive erratically…I think honestly, they’re just trying to keep everyone safe,” said McKenney. 

Siri Bachina, a freshman computer science major, mentioned that it would be helpful if the university put up more signs other than the ones at the intersection to further awareness regarding the issue. 

“They can put up signage everywhere…flyers, anything can work. A lot of college kids are walking all over campus, so if you put up different signs, you’re going to end up seeing something about it just by walking around campus,” said Bachina. 

On the contrary, students like Grisby think that there should have been a grace period for students to get accustomed to the regulations around the intersection.

“They could at least have a grace period to figure it out. [It’s the] same with the helmet situation with the scooters,” Grisby said. “They sent the email at night, and then it was enacted the next morning. Students were [then] getting tickets for not wearing helmets. That’s evil, no warning to get [helmets] is insane.”

Grisby was frustrated that UMPD did not take into account students’ busy schedules and believed it was unfair to hand out warnings as soon as the semester started. 

“You have to give people a grace period to figure it out or…figure out how they can time it to wait at the intersection and get to class all the time,” said Grisby. 

Despite student frustration, the Division of Administration asserts that students must follow traffic laws for the safe operation of the intersection.

Featured Image: Stoplight at intersection of Campus Drive and Regents Drive. Photo by Hai-Ching Wang.