The Town of Chapel Hill, UNC students and the residents who live in the apartments and homes on the northbound side of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard have been fortunate. Let's hope their luck will continue until the problem is eventually overcome. For the present, I keep my fingers crossed.

Here are the reasons:

The students and residents endanger their lives (daily) by crossing the road to catch the southbound Chapel Hill Transit buses going to campus or downtown. Anywhere from one to several riders will do this at a time, frequently stranded in the median, looking fearfully in both directions. At times, there will be a cluster of them, seeking to find safety in numbers.

The concern for their life is evident in their eyes as they weigh the possibility of being struck by a vehicle. Those utilizing the free transit -- at the town's encouragement -- are forced to play Russian roulette in their desire to help reduce the carbon footprint of Chapel Hill. An even more dangerous scenario takes place on the 15-501 corridor as well as N.C. 54. How vulnerable they all must feel.

The paradox here is that in the Town's Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 10 (10.2: Goals, Objectives and Strategies), it states how public transportation is to "Maintain a ... system that enhances the mobility and the safety of Town residents, employees and students."

The Town's Transportation Board is cognizant of the issues and addressing them as best it can. As chairman, residents ask me why we do not place signs, crosswalks, and/or traffic lights at the aforementioned locations where a high degree of pedestrians and vehicles converge. Answer: the problem lies in the nature of the beast -- these roads are owned by the State of North Carolina (NC-DOT), hence out of our jurisdiction.

Thankfully, the relationship between the two governments is one of mutual respect and cooperation. For example, after the N.C. 86 Study, $500,000 of funding was secured by the Town through the DCHC-MPO (Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization which, as stated by its Web page, is "the regional organization responsible for transportation planning for the western part of the Research Triangle").

This was earmarked for pedestrian safety improvements, such as crosswalks, targeting high traffic areas like Airport Road. According to David Bonk, the Town's Long Range and Transportation Planning Manager, Chapel Hill was one of the first communities in the state to get such an approval.

The university also does its share. When Carolina North's Innovation Center was being planned, UNC agreed to finance a pedestrian island on Airport Road near the Shadowood Apartments where students live and have to cross to catch the buses. That was the appropriate thing to do ... and a nice gesture.

The recent question of whether Chapel Hill is losing its mystic glitz is a moot point; the reality is that people are moving here. According to the Town's 2035 Plan, Chapel Hill's population was 52,394 in 2005. This figure increases by a whopping 55 percent to 81,297 by the year 2035. The challenges of navigating the finite roads of Chapel Hill by the increasing numbers of automobiles, buses, cyclists and pedestrians will escalate proportionally.

Presently, the exigent concern is whether pedestrian safety issues at the three major corridors in Chapel Hill are proceeding fast enough. Government agencies/bureaucracies move slowly -- for a number of reasons. Still, that is little comfort to students and residents who potentially risk all for bus transportation, free or otherwise.

In an ideal Republic form of government, the elected officials actually lead -- preferably with foresight -- and not just react to crisis after the fact, trying to damage-control their image. Ben Franklin's adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is apropos here. If we are fortunate, our three elected N.C. State Representatives* and State Senator* will address the needs of the community by assisting our local officials before a major tragedy occurs.

In the meantime, given the imminent danger ... so far, so good.

*www.co.orange.nc.us/elect/state.asp

Augustus Cho is the chairman of the Town of Chapel Hill Transportation Board. Contact him at augustuscho@gmail.com.