Among the many attributes of Dickinson College is the walkability of the campus. Many students do not have cars on campus and rely on sidewalks, and most importantly cross-walks to get around. However, reckless and distracted drivers pose a real and significant threat to students.

Travis Knaggs ’28, a member of the Dickinson track and field team, had just finished an early evening workout on the outdoor track on March 3 when he entered a crosswalk on West High Street. After looking both ways and recognizing an approaching car in the distance, he assumed the car would stop, but it did not.

“I felt myself flying through the air. I was really worried that I’d snapped my neck,” Knaggs said. “I felt like I was about to die.”

Knaggs was struck head-on. He was transported by ambulance to a trauma center on a stretcher with a neck brace. He suffered extensive road rash and various minor injuries. He couldn’t walk for a week and limped for another week and a half.

“To this day, my knees still haven’t fully healed, and my calves hurt when I put weight on them,” he said.

When asked what he thought would increase safety for pedestrians on campus, Knaggs said “signage and improved lighting could make the crosswalk safer.”

“I was definitely visible in the crosswalk, but a yield cone is not enough for an area where people speed,” Knaggs said. “There should be better signage by the crosswalk, especially as it’s in an area where people are coming off the highway and where students cross frequently.”

Parked cars along the street further reduce visibility. While Dickinson College can improve lighting in certain areas, West High Street is a state road, limiting full control over infrastructure upgrades. The lack of safety measures in these areas underscores Carlisle’s status as one of Cumberland County’s most dangerous areas for pedestrian traffic.

Knaggs’ accident is far from isolated. In September, Kimberly Tyson ’26 was struck in the College St. crosswalk while leaving the HUB.

A car turning onto College St. didn’t stop. “I had the complete right of way, and it hit me in the crosswalk, knocked me backward, and ran over my foot, crushing it,” she said. “I was bruised all over.” Tyson also sustained leg and other significant injuries from being run over.

“Everyone’s always jaywalking back and forth from High Street to the Quad, and that freaks me out now,” she said.Even in crosswalks, I’m nervous if a car comes. Don’t expect them to stop. Hopefully, they will, because hopefully they see you and don’t want to hurt you..”

She called for more safety measures.

“There are flashing lights at Britton crosswalk and usually a crossing guard on College Street during peak midday hours, but I was hit around 4:45 p.m., so that didn’t help,” she said. “I was surprised by how little I heard from the school. They should be more proactive when this happens to students.” She believes there should be greater penalties for hitting a pedestrian with a vehicle.

College administrators say pedestrian safety concerns are shared by campus leadership and remain an ongoing topic of discussion with local officials.

David Walker, Vice President for Finance and Administration, acknowledged persistent infrastructure challenges relating to large-scale modifications. Walker recently consulted with Dean of Students George Stroud and General Counsel Vince Champion about pedestrian safety concerns.

“We’re not really seeing a dramatic increase in the number of incidents,” Walker said. “Two fundamental issues that we have — we have a handful of mid-block crosswalks. The West High Street crosswalks I try to avoid..”

Walker also said lighting concerns were highlighted by Knaggs’ accident and remain a key focus of discussions with the borough.

“We’ve been talking with the borough of Carlisle to see what other measures we can take jointly  to really improve pedestrian safety,” he said.

However, coordination between institutions can present challenges. Walker said borough officials have encouraged the college to reduce the use of mid-block crosswalks, though doing so would be difficult given existing campus sidewalk layouts.

“It is darn near impossible given how our sidewalks are oriented,” Walker said. “So we are not quite on the same page yet in conversations with the borough.”

Walker added that lighting improvements are regulated by municipal standards, requiring close coordination with borough officials.

“The borough prescribes how lighting needs to be, where it needs to be, the brightness of said lighting,” he said. “So those are conversations that we’re having with the borough.”

Infrastructure changes such as speed bumps are further complicated by roadway ownership. Portions of High Street and North College Street are state-owned roads under the authority of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, limiting local ability to make changes.

Despite these limitations, Walker emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between the college and local government.

“President Jones, myself, and others meet twice a semester with the mayor of Carlisle and the borough manager,” he said. “Our challenge and opportunity is one in the same. That’s to continue to work closely with the borough as they continue to make changes. I don’t fault them at all. We have always considered them great partners. They are doing as much as they feel they can.”

Walker, a longtime Carlisle resident, said pedestrian safety concerns remain personal for him.

“I shudder whenever I hear sirens and they seem to stop close to campus,” he said. “I always look out to the intersection and the crosswalk.”

Stroud theorized, “While additional crossing guards may provide an additional level of safety, I do not believe that this would have stopped either of the accidents that occurred this year, both of which occurred during the late afternoon or early evening hours. We would not have had crossing guards working during those times.”

The campus incidents underscore a broader safety issue in Carlisle. In late May 2025, a vehicle drove onto the sidewalk at South Hanover Street and West Pomfret Street, striking two elderly pedestrians. The married couple, both in their 70s, were critically injured, and one later died from their injuries.

Police arrested the driver, who pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence and related charges. He will serve three years in prison.

Carlisle has seen multiple vehicle-related incidents in downtown business and residential areas in 2026. In the most recent available study from 2020, the borough recorded 187 crashes, both fatal and nonfatal combined.

Local officials have acknowledged the growing concern and are taking steps aimed at improving safety. Carlisle Borough Council is moving forward with a resolution supporting Vision Zero, an international initiative focused on eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries. The approach is based on the idea that traffic fatalities are preventable and that road systems should be designed to account for human error and protect vulnerable users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

As part of the initiative, borough leaders are developing an Active Transportation Plan intended to improve infrastructure for walking, biking and other nonmotorized travel. The plan is expected to focus on making streets safer and more accessible while prioritizing those most at risk of injury.

To gather public input, the borough has hosted community meetings during the first half of 2026. These meetings have allowed stakeholders to review safety data, discuss trends and help identify priorities for improving transportation safety throughout Carlisle. Officials expect the Active Transportation Plan to be completed by 2027.