A Carleton student was hit by a car yesterday outside of Laird Stadium on the Carleton College Campus.
A statement released by the NPD said the accident occurred yesterday morning at approximately 9:45am. The Northfield Police Department, 
according to the statement, responded to a reported crash on Highway 19. Officers found a 2019 Toyota RAV4 that, while traveling westbound, had collided with a pedestrian, who was identified as a 22-year-old Carleton student, in the crosswalk. Northfield Area Fire and Rescue and Northfield Ambulance arrived and provided immediate care for the injured student, who was transported to Regions Hospital in St. Paul for further care. The driver of the car, a 79-year-old Northfield woman, was uninjured.
A letter sent to the Carleton community by the college administration said the school was in touch with the police department, and at the time was working to reach the student’s family. A second letter sent later in the afternoon reported that the student had suffered only minor injuries and had been released from the hospital.
The area in which the accident happened can be a difficult one for both pedestrians and vehicles to traverse. Many vehicles fail to slow as the road transitions from a country highway to an on-campus throughway, and there is a heavy amount of student pedestrian traffic. There are many high snowbanks surrounding the road right now as well, due to the recent winter storm, making visibility difficult.
The Northfield Police Department said in the statement that it would like to remind all motorists that Minnesota law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in a marked crosswalk and at intersections. Pedestrians, it went on to say, should use caution when crossing the street at all times, whether in crosswalks or not to ensure their own safety.
The Minnesota State Patrol is handling the crash investigation.
Residents voice concerns over bikeways
Several members of the Valley Pond Townhomes Association are raising concerns about the mill & overlay project approved by the City Council 
last week, and a proposed bikeway that they say will endanger both bicyclists and those who live in the area.
The project which runs through Heritage Drive, Roosevelt Drive, and South Lincoln Street calls for the construction of two-way protected bikeways in the interest of safety and better city connectivity. Construction of the bikeways includes building a raised curb on one side of the street, and that, according to residents, is where the problems arise.
According to a statement supplied to KYMN, the placement of a bikeway that frequently crosses driveways is inherently dangerous. Drivers, the statement said, will be required to be aware of vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic coming from both directions as they back out of their garages.
Another concern of the area residents is driveway length, which they say, will be shortened by 50% “drastically reducing sightlines.” The problem is compounded, they said, by the sharp corners at Adams Street and South Lincoln Street and at South Lincoln and Heritage Drive and becomes particularly acute at high traffic times in the early morning and late afternoon.
The statement went on to say that there is an existing two-way off-street bikeway through Hidden Valley Pond Park that allows bicyclists to move through the area without crossing driveways. The residents have more suggestions as well for routing bicyclists through other, lower traffic areas.
During the City Council on Tuesday night, members of the council answered the concerns by explaining that the city sees the bikeways as the safest possibility for bicyclists. Mayor Pownell remarked that, after two bicycle fatalities in Northfield last year, the City Council is determined to make the city safer. City Administrator Ben Martig said there will be significant community education efforts made about the best use of the bikeways when they are constructed.
The statement said the many of the VPTA residents have submitted a petition to the City Council asking for the project to be delayed until their concerns have been addressed.
City Council will meet tonight for a work session
And the Northfield City Council will meet for a work session tonight in the Council Chambers at City Hall. 
Among the items on the agenda will be an update and discussion about the redevelopment of the 5th and Water Streets area that will include construction of a new municipal liquor store. The council will also have a long-delayed discussion and update of the City Council Board and Commission Governance Effectiveness Review.
As always, the City Council and the Northfield City Staff are eager to hear the opinions of the public on any matter, whether the subject is on the Council agenda or not. Tonight’s meeting is a work session, so the Council will not hear from the public. However, those who do wish to make a point, air an opinion or ask a question can email their councilor directly or make use of the eComment function which can be found in the “Agendas” section of the city website.
The meeting will begin tonight at 6pm.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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