After the death of Penn State senior Shellie Smarowsky in the last few weeks of Fall Semester, what anyone walking from place to place in State College already knew became painfully apparent to those who did not. State College streets and drivers are hazardous to pedestrians.

Smarowsky was struck by a bus on the morning of Dec. 6 and this sad incident seems to have finally brought attention to a serious problem for State College residents. Crossing the streets here too often involves outrunning cars, bicycles, walk/don't walk signs and traffic lights that often change too quickly and without much warning.

Last week, members of the State College Borough Council began to work on the problem, and many of the suggestions made by those interested in improving the pedestrian situation were good ones.

Members have discussed improving the technology behind the signals that indicate whether or not the street is OK to cross, including adding a countdown system to those lights, which would keep pedestrians from being surprised by a "don't walk" signal in the middle of the street.

Another good proposal is using a "chirping" sound, commonly used to let the blind know when the signal changes, on the lights for everyone's use.

These improvements will give pedestrians a better grasp on when to walk, but council didn't ignore the other half of the problem: alerting drivers about when it's safe to hit the accelerator. Crosswalks that would light up when being used by pedestrians was another good way to alert those behind the wheel to drive with more caution.

Council also should work for stricter enforcement of the safety measures that are already in place, such as obeying the speed limit or stopping at red lights.

Of course, not all the responsibility lies with local government or law enforcement. Everyone who travels in State College should be wary and alert. It might sound like a lecture from elementary school, but the lesson that drivers and pedestrians must remain alert to their surroundings is one that none of us should forget.

Though all of these plans are still in only the earliest, discussion stages, Borough Council is certainly moving in the right direction just by acknowledging the problem and indicating that they realize something must be done.

Now it is the job of State College residents to encourage more than talk about keeping the streets safe for everyone, whether they walk, drive or bike.