Chris Martin ’07 said it appears that the speed bumps on campus seem to be working a “bit too well.”
“Some cars on campus can’t even drive over the bumps without scraping their bumpers or bottoming out,” he said.
For many students, and especially those with sports cars or other low-riders, driving across campus seems the slower way to get around. Walking may be faster.
“You have to come to a complete stop and barely tap the gas to clear the bumps,” said Martin.
Over this past summer, four speed bumps on campus were installed or modified: two at the chapel crosswalk, one at Bellarmine pond and one at the baseball field, according to Associate V.P. of Campus Operations, Richard Taylor.
After receiving complaints from students that the bumps were hard to drive over, Campus Operations staff tested the bumps themselves.
According to Taylor, they determined that the speed bumps at Bellarmine pond and the baseball field were in fact too large for the average car.
Campus Operations plans to remove them this week and replace them with smaller bumps.
“It’s not fair that small cars have to suffer damage the majority of the time that they are faced with speed bumps,” said Kristen Daly, ’08.
Director of Public Safety Todd Pelazza said he recognizes that the speed bumps have generated a good deal of complaints from students.
“But they are serving their purpose by slowing drivers down,” he said.
However, many students are questioning why their cars need to suffer to meet this goal.
“No matter how slow I go, I bottom out. I think my car might explode one day,” said A.J. Maucieri ’08.
Lauren Caggiano ’07 said she hears a scrape every time she drives over a bump with more than two people in her car.
“I may not drive a low riding sports car, but as soon as the undercarriage of my ’96 Camry drops onto North Benson, I’ll be expecting a new car courtesy of Fairfield University,” she said. “Preferably something with a sun roof.”
Even professors agree.
“As someone who drives a Honda with a low carriage ride, I’m particularly sensitive to these bumps,” said Elizabeth Petrino, an associate professor of English at Fairfield.
Students with larger cars and SUVs seem to be having an easier time.
“They’re annoying because I have to slow down, but my car is huge so it doesn’t really matter,” said Lauren Wood ’08.
“They’re not that bad,” said James Moriarity ’08. “I’ve hit them going 55.”
A speed bump’s purpose is to reduce the number of accidents on campus and to make drivers more aware of pedestrians.
“Every time every one of us goes over any speed bump, we experience frustration,” said Timothy Snyder, dean of the college of arts and sciences. “But we must balance this with the low number of accidents we have had on campus.”
“There is no telling how many accidents the bumps have avoided,” he added.
But students are undoubtably happy with the university’s plans to reduce the bumps.
“It’ll be so much less agrivating,” said Martin ’07.
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