University of Akron and city officials have laid out plans to make Exchange Street safer after several incidents along the corridor this semester.
Some of the improvements proposed are increased street lights in the area and better communication between the city and landlords about property maintenance.
The university’s Interim President John Green says that going to school in a major metropolitan area provides many opportunities to explore cultural events and internships, but does sometimes come with an increased safety concern for parents.
“We have a very, very safe campus. But of course, part of the attraction of being at an urban campus is to go off campus, right? Speaking as a former young person, I still remember those days. That involves a lot of opportunities, some more risky than others. So the neighborhoods right around the campus turn out to be very, very important.”
The officials also announced a new app called Cleanup/Fixup (see video demonstration below) that allows students and residents to report issues such as tall grass and weeds, trash or broken street and traffic lights.