A familiar foe

We’re now four days into the fall semester, and it already feels like its been an eternity. No, it’s not because of the various class icebreakers or getting back into the dangerous, near-daily Chick-fil-A routine. It’s not even the thought of another long year of Duo Mobile.

These are familiar problems we have come to expect, and as a result most of us have begrudgingly learned to plan accordingly.

For those like myself who stayed in Moscow during the summer, construction is a familiar foe. The University of Idaho campus becomes exponentially more difficult to navigate and it’s impossible to tell when it’s safe to drive downtown.

But when construction continues after students return and begin to settle down, the attitude changes.

Traffic becomes more congested, parking somehow turns into an even larger issue and new students are likely unimpressed. Where is the calm, clean, easy-to-navigate campus they were promised?

And did I mention the sudden switching of the one-way streets? I was fortunate enough to get the memo, unlike those I saw barreling down toward oncoming traffic.

I’m apparently not even good enough for an orange parking pass, as I’m currently waitlisted. But from what I’ve heard, I’m not exactly missing out. Multiple lots under construction and key intersections blocked off results in an influx of angry, late students and on-foot scrambles.

I’ve taken to walking. This crosses the line.

While construction typically isn’t fully complete before school begins, I’d be hard-pressed to remember a time where it’s been this bad.

To be fair, there are plenty of construction-free areas. But the problem lies in how congested each traffic zone has become.

Rarely do I not see long lines of traffic overflowing through lights, further worsened by students crossing every few seconds.

Let’s break down a few key areas.

Intersection

You tell me what this is. The once beautiful intersection, an elegant, fast way to travel to the Pitman Center or even Taco Time, has been taken hostage. My detour now takes me either around the Kibbie Dome or through parts of downtown.

Sidewalk

Some might argue this is an extension of the last picture, but the facts remain. When I see sidewalk closures, I think despair — and this is no different. Must we walk back and forth in the hot weather, from sidewalk to sidewalk, just to avoid getting hit by falling debris? Maybe.

Pitman Center

While the Pitman Center isn’t exactly in the middle of campus, it’s still a hub for student activities and gatherings. And parking. And construction.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with construction during school hours. It’s likely unavoidable.

But many of these projects did not start until midway through summer and student agitation will continue to build.

We’ve been met with unclear timelines and no clear resolutions.

Please, I don’t want to go through town and drive past Moscow Alehouse any more to reach the Vandal Store. It makes me too hungry.

Max Rothenberg can be reached at [email protected]