Jaywalking on Linda Vista

RAs in the UTAs say those who cross illegally will be ticketed for jaywalking

Mikaela Foehr / News Editor / The USD Vista

Linda Vista Road is long, fast, and has very few legal places to cross. It is common to see people darting across the street during all hours of the day, whether it is to get to class, get to a bus stop, or to go home. The prevalence of jaywalking around campus has led the University of San Diego’s Public Safety Department to begin to enforce jaywalking laws more strictly. 

On Feb. 18, Resident Assistants in the University Terrace Apartments (UTAs) communicated to their residents that “Pedestrians who cross the street without using the crosswalk at the West or main campus entrances will be ticketed for jaywalking.” 

The UTAs are an on-campus living space located just west of the Pacific Ridge Apartment complex across Linda Vista Road. There is not a crosswalk connecting the UTAs to USD directly, requiring students to walk up the hill to the crosswalk at the Pacific Ridge and USD intersection. Adding to this slight inconvenience is the presence of a staircase to campus that lies on the other side of the street, apparently only accessible by walking from the top or bottom of the hill without jaywalking. 

Another common jaywalking area is the stretch of road between the Alcalá Vista Apartments and the East campus entrance. In that stretch, there are no crosswalks except on the opposite sides of the intersections that bookend the stretch. This is also an especially dangerous jaywalking area because it has a blind corner at the entrance to the Alcalá Vista Apartments.

Junior Caitlin Bowen is a UTA resident who sees people jaywalking daily, but is personally opposed to the action.

“I know a lot of people who speed down that hill so the risk isn’t worth it for me,” Bowen said. “I see a lot of people jaywalking from the UTAs to campus and I am always nervous that a driver will be distracted and not see them until it is too late.”

Bowen believes that a crosswalk could potentially be a safer alternative, but still worries that driver speeds are too fast to make it a safe option.

Jaywalking across Linda Vista Road is a dangerous task, considering the speed limit of 40 mph and that the road has a few blind corners. Additionally, in the final two months of 2019, Linda Vista Road saw five pedestrian accidents, with one serious one accident involving a USD student. Although these accidents did occur in designated crosswalks, they illustrate the dangers of the road. 

Jaywalking fines begin at a base of $25, but can rise quickly with additional ticketing fines, potentially getting as high as $250. Although jaywalking may be convenient, it is important to consider the potential costs it poses. 

The USD Vista did reach out to the Public Safety Department to learn what their plan of action was in respect to jaywalking issues. However, no statement was received from them by the time of print.