Improvements? Really?

This morning SueAnn called me. She's the department chair that I have been working with on the Accreditation review which is due in a little over a week (Feb 1). We've been going 90 mph trying to get it all done but she has now been sidelined. I think you all heard me complaining about the construction here on campus over the summer. The city redid the intersection outside our building making it even more dangerous for pedestrians. They put in a turn lane, supposedly for buses and trucks only, but which everyone uses. The lane crosses the crosswalk without any light for either pedestrians or vehicles. We've had several close calls. One woman nearly hit SueAnn, and indeed hit her coffee mug, knocking it out of her hand and then very politely flipped her off. (Really, I don't understand this mentality) Last night SueAnn actually got hit...not by a car but by a bicycle. She fell backwards, her head bounced on the cement, her back immediately went into spasms and her body went into shock. She was transported to the hospital on a backboard and in a neck brace where she spent hours having lots of pretty pictures taken. She is ok but very very sore and not able to spend the hours working that she needs to to finish this review. We'll manage the review one way or another. I'm doing the editing today, which wouldn't normally be in my purview but it's got to be done by someone.

I called the project planner on campus to explain the flaw in the logic of the intersection. He agreed to talk to the city planners. We'll see how many people are hit before they make any changes.