Along the given path, the traffic flow is considerably low due to the lack of cars that drive on campus. However, the traffic flow is significantly higher on High street because it is a main road that runs along campus. The traffic flow in this area is two way with the exception of Norwich Ave which is one way. One-way streets are common on and near campus and they help control the flow and speed of traffic. This is very helpful considering the amount of pedestrian traffic that occurs on campus, especially during class hours. Although many of the campus streets are one-way, it makes sense that Woodruff would not be because it acts as a main road that leads across the Olentangy to West Campus. Most drivers on campus appear to adhere to the speed limits. This is most likely because of the frequent stop lights and crosswalks that force them to make frequent stops and does not allow them to gain much speed in between these stops. On High Street however, the speed limit appears to be followed less, most likely because it is a main road that facilitates more traffic.

The sidewalks in the area are in relatively good condition. Most of the sidewalks are wide in order to facilitate a large amount of pedestrian traffic. They also have many crosswalk areas that allow for easy crossings. One possible issue with the sidewalks is the limited space between the edge of the sidewalk and the curb lane of the street. When there is a lot of traffic on high street and a lot of pedestrian traffic along the sidewalk, it can sometimes be nerve racking to watch people walk so close to the edge when there is high speed on coming traffic. This could potentially be solved with the widening of High street. If High street was wider, the traffic congestion during rush hours would also be eliminated, allowing for easier and safer transportation. The width of the streets on campus, however, are in good condition and widening them would potentially cause more traffic flow in the area to occur. This could then pose a problem by affecting the safety of the pedestrian traffic that occurs on campus.

Overall, I think the streets are safe for pedestrian use. There are frequent and well identified street crossing areas across the campus streets and High Street. The signal timing for cross walks is well timed in order to accommodate for both the vehicular and pedestrian traffic, even along High Street. I have never had to wait for an extended period of time when waiting for the sign to change and there are many pedestrian crosswalks on campus that give the pedestrian right of way. This is very useful on campus during class hours when there are large sums of people trying to cross the street in order to get to class on time and they don’t have to wait for traffic signals to change. Most of the areas are accessible for those with disabilities. All crosswalks have sufficient curb ramps and the CODA bus system is wheel chair accessible and the driver make it a very easy process.  The safety of the areas could possibly be further improved with the decrease in construction along High Street. With all of the construction, some crosswalks are hard to see to vehicles until they are at the cross walk. This poses a threat to pedestrians crossing the street, especially at night, when visibility is difficult to vehicles.

1. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina began as a tropical storm, but quickly escalated to between a category 3 and 5 on August 29, 2005. It began as a category 1 hurricane after landfall with Florida, however, once back over the ocean, the storm intensifies to a category 5 before breaking to a 3 before landfall in Louisiana. With winds speeds reaching 170 mph, the hurricane struck land in Louisiana. Initial damages were limited to minor flooding, however, the reason that Hurricane Katrina was so deadly was due to the levees breaking and allowing all of the flood waters in. It took the United States military over 3 days to finally get aid into New Orleans and the final damages of the storm were an estimated 1800 people dead, and an estimated $160 billion in damages.
2. In the days and weeks following Hurricane Katrina, that effects of the storm were described to accumulate at least $9 billion in damage costs making it one of the costliest storms on record. The affected areas were flooded for weeks, displacing families and preventing many search and rescue efforts for those who were stuck in their homes and those who had died in the storm as a result of being trapped from the flooding. The flooding caused the drinking water to be unsafe without boiling and the areas that were hit were without power for weeks. This caused very unsafe living conditions for those who could not relocate at the time. Many hospitals in the area were left without operable emergency rooms which posed a big problem in providing medical attention to those who were injured as a result of the storm. The united states fatality toll of hurricane Katrina is recorded to be 1,836 people. The effects of the storm did not quickly decrease overtime, damage repairs lasted for years and many people who were displaced as a result of the storm were left homeless or in inadequate shelter for months and up to years after the hurricane hit.

Aritcles:

Hurricane Katrina Slams Into Gulf Coast; Dozens Are Dead – August 30, 2005

Hurricane Katrina: The Aftermath – August 30, 2005

Hurricane Lashes New Orleans – August 29, 2005

Administrative breakdowns in the Governmental Response to Hurricane Katrina – September 2005

3. The reason Hurricane Katrina was so deadly was because majority of New Orleans resides below sea level. The sea is held back by a series of levees but during the storm, these levees failed, causing sea water to rush into the city and cause great destruction. The levees breaking paired with the failure for many citizens to evacuate increased the death toll. Instead of leaving the city for safer ground as was suggested by the government, many sought refuge in the city itself without actually leaving. Part of the reason that many did not evacuate is due to the misrepresentation of the size of the storm. Because Katrina was only a category 1 when reaching landfall, it was expected to be an average storm, however, the storm intensified over the Gulf of Mexico, doubling its wind speed and destructiveness. Coupled with a below sea level elevation and many expensive buildings placed in the flood plain, Hurricane Katrina was one of the costliest disasters in modern history.
4. To avoid another disaster like Katrina, Communities throughout the country need to set up roles within local departments and organization. With there being roles within the community, the recovery process for the disaster will be completed at a faster rate. Outside help will still be needed but the community will not only be limited by outside help. Knowledge and education about certain disasters should be taught in schools and community centers in areas prone to disaster. With knowledge, people are better adequate to face the storm, preparation and recovery will be much easier. Flood maps and other geographic information should be available in every household. Proper evacuation techniques and recovery techniques should also be taught at the schools and community centers. Money and government grants are also a great way to prevent another disaster like Katrina from happening. When disaster struck in New Orleans, the government didn’t do much, president bush received a lot of backlash from the black community because it seemed as though he was holding back resources. With prior government aid and funding, schools and other community centers will have the proper resources to adequately prepare for the disaster. Planning and infrastructure to prevent these disasters from happening cost money and the government is typically the most important asset when it comes to providing funding for disaster relief and prevention.
5. Potential barriers to effectively adopting these strategies are the mindsets of people who think that disasters like hurricane Katrina will not happen to them, so they don’t need to be prepared for an event like that. A disaster like this can happen to anyone, so everyone should have proper knowledge on how to be prepared and how to react. Another potential barrier is lack of government funding for preparation efforts. The government may not see the necessity to prepare for an event like this but it harder for them to hold funding when it comes to response efforts after disasters happen. Therefore, the proper funds should be spent beforehand to educate the public and prepare in order to try and minimize the cost of response efforts after the fact.

​When traveling down high street, the corner of Lane Avenue and High street is a staple spot. With Buffalo Wild Wings, Chipotle, CVS and Wendy’s, this region is a heavily trafficked area. For some of us that are older with the abilities to have a car on campus, these places can be hard to visit. Only CVS provides public parking for customers visiting CVS. Everyone else must pay the high prices of the nearest garage or park off campus and walk. This can be frustrating when carrying large amounts of food and at certain times of the night even dangerous. This problem could be lessened with just the addition of more street parking.

Current condition:

​MCM’s proposal is the addition of street parking on either side of the street. On the east side of High St. (off-campus) there is already a lane designated for the Amazon delivery truck in front of the Amazon store to stop. This lane is in public use to traffic when the truck is not there. However, if the lane was permanently sectioned off to be used for street parking people can park in front of the stores they want to go to instead of a distance away.​

The west side of High St. (campus) offers another option to increase parking. There is already a sizeable sidewalk on the campus side of high street, if the sidewalks width were to be reduced, another lane could be implemented for parking. By adding a lane instead of taking one away, this plan should not affect the flow of traffic, just ease the citizens’ day.
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These two plans are both feasible and easily attainable, but the usage of the Amazon delivery lane is the cheapest and easiest to implement. The only money spent would be on the addition of meters, and one spot would be blocked off so the Amazon truck can continue to park in front of the Amazon store. The only problem with this plan is that High St. would lose a lane which could affect the flow of traffic in a negative way.

Team members: Matt Humes, Casey Whalen, Mamadou Djigo