We, as an institution, agree with the decisions of the Town of Farmville to put a new stoplight at the intersection of St. George and Third streets and to lower certain speed limits in town.

As Farmville Mayor David Whitus put it, these are indeed potential life-saving measures.

“We’re putting it there so that the students and people that are using the trail, people that use the train station can have easy access to get out and have a protected traffic signal,” Town Manager Gerald Spates said in a previous interview.

In a town that continuously sees college students dart out in front of traffic without so much as looking, it’s wise for there to be a measure put into place for protection. This is a win on all sides.

“We’re just trying to protect the public…both the motorist as well as the pedestrian so that’s why we’re looking at these speed limits,” Spates said regarding the speed limit changes.

Students of Longwood University will continue to walk out in front of traffic before looking. It’s human nature when you’re young to not think about the consequence of something as simple as looking before you walk in the street. The students also have trust that being the pedestrian automatically gives them the right of way even if the car is traveling at too high a speed at too close a distance to stop. Speed limits around town changed at the Oct. 11 Farmville Town Council meeting.

“The thing with the speed limit is more or less confirming the speed limit,” Spates said following the meeting. “Most of the speed limits are already set in the zones; the only change in any speed limit really is the change in the speed limit on the north end of town from 45 to 40 and on the south end from 45 to 40, and that’s just going to a certain point.”

We commend the town for putting these life-saving measures in place.