UCF students are taking the designing of a pedestrian bridge over Alafaya Trail and University Boulevard into their own hands.
On Dec. 1, UCF’s School of Visual Arts and Design department held an exhibit featuring 27 bridge designs created by UCF students.
Ranging from simple one-way bridges with a Pegasus in the middle, to a bridge with a massive lighted-spiral around it, each bridge is slightly different, but all have the same common goal to keep students safe.
Although no funding for a pedestrian bridge has been secured, UCF Adjunct art professor Melissa Bush told KnightNews.com she believes it is something that can happen.
“At a major state university, to actually get funding and approval by the state is no small task and can take many years to develop and get completed. If the community in and around UCF really want this to happen soon, I believe outside donors or a private building corporation will have to fund a bridge like this. UCF is a community of 60,000 strong, if everyone chipped in a nominal amount, it can happen,” said Bush.
The idea for a pedestrian bridge over Alafaya Trail and University Boulevard is not something new.
Lobbying for a pedestrian bridge was the biggest platform point for current UCF Student Government Association President Weston Bayes. In a previous interview with KnightNews.com, Bayes said that he made sure it was a project that could be completed before he placed it on his platform.
“We believe that using our current resources, such as our lobbying firm in Gray Robinson and the voice of our large UCF community, we can work with the city to make sure this is a priority on the agenda,” Bayes said in March.
It is unclear how sucessful SGA has been in lobbying for the bridge.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, in the past 10 years there have been seven pedestrian fatalities in the UCF area. Having funding for one of these bridges to be built is something that UCF student Alex Schult believes would make him feel safer.
“It would make me feel safe because I know that no matter what I don’t have to worry about any of the stupid drivers or any of the cars driving on Alafaya,” Schult said.
Check out photos from the exhibit:
Photos courtesy of UCF Adjunct art professor Melissa Bush
