The pedestrian island at the intersection of Thurstin Avenue and Court Street will not be restored, but a three-way stop sign will take its place.

The device was removed after it was determined the island didn’t meet current regulations.

A traffic count was issued for both vehicles and pedestrians to determine if the concrete island was necessary, according to Lori Tretter, public information officer for the city.

City officials received the results of the survey in the beginning of October.

Based on recommendations from the team of surveyors from Proudfoot Associates – a traffic engineering firm in Toledo – John Fawcett, city municipal administrator, requested a three-way stop sign be installed.

The Bowling Green traffic commission considered Fawcett’s request and agreed.

Fawcett said the signs were installed strictly based on “empirical data.”

“We heard the concerns of the students, but had the study not recommended the three-way stop, we would not have taken the action we did,” Fawcett said.

The new stop signs will be activated at 10 a.m. today.

Lieutenant David Weekley of campus police is glad something was done, but wishes the safety device would have been reinstalled.

“The device provided refuge for pedestrians if drivers did not see them,” Weekly said. “It got worse when the device was taken out, so I’m glad to see that some action was taken.”

A traffic light will be installed next year, according to Weekley.

The light will be green on Thurstin until there are pedestrians or traffic on Court Street.

Until then, both campus and city police will monitor the area.

“We have really been watching the area since the device was removed, and we will continue to monitor it closely,” said Weekley.

Donald Boren, legal studies and international business professor, is skeptical of the new three-way stop.

“I thought it was better with the concrete island there because it was very visible, but we’ll see how bright these lights are,” Boren said.

Marc Vertido, sophomore, agrees the stop will be nice.

“I think cars are stopping, but I guess the new signs will be good,” Vertido said.

Heidi Habecker, senior, who crosses the intersection twice every day, disagrees with Vertido.

She said that cars are not yielding to pedestrians and it is a dangerous area of campus.

Habecker is tired of constantly having to question whether or not cars are going to stop.

However, she is hopeful that the three-way stop will help.

“I think it will work well because it seems to be working at the Ridge and Thurstin intersection,” she said. “My only concern is traffic backing up.”

When asked her opinion of Fawcett relying strictly on numbers and not on the students’ concerns, she was upset.

“Because this is a college campus, it should be a first priority,” Habecker said. “A crosswalk should be at the top of the list.”