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VeSte acts on danger at crossing Bornsesteeg

It is risky crossing the road at the Bornsesteeg intersection. Every day, hundreds of students and cars have to get through the traffic lights, with long queues as a result. That is asking for trouble, says student council party VeSte.

There have not yet been any serious accidents but the student representatives say there have been dangerous situations. ‘People have been waiting for a while, are late for lectures and may end up cycling through a red light,’ says VeSte council member Anneriek Simons. That is why the student council is organizing a crossing campaign in the week of 18 March. During that week, student council members will lead cyclists to the university via a different route. Cyclists coming from Asserpark and Leeuwenborch will be taken via the Thymos path. Cyclists from the town centre will be sent straight on at the roundabout down Rooseveltweg and along Dijkgraaf and Akkermaalsbos. ‘You can hardly call it a diversion,’ says Anneriek. ‘It’s about 200 metres further but you get to lectures earlier because you avoid the queues at the traffic lights.’ Creatures of habit VeSte is hoping this action will make students more aware of the alternatives. ‘Students are creatures of habit – they do what they have always done. If we offer them alternative routes, they may change their habits and go a different way. That would make the intersection a lot less busy during the rush hour.’ But the main purpose of the campaign is to put pressure on the town council and university to solve the problem. ‘We have brought this up regularly with them but they keep pointing to each other instead of working together constructively on a solution. Students, schoolchildren and drivers are losing out because of this.’

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