Flashing speed zone signs placed on Fourth Street through campus last spring have done little to curb the problem of motorists driving too fast in the area of high foot traffic.

As a result of the continuing problems with speeding motorists, and concerns that Fourth Street’s traffic will only increase in the future the Student Senate’s University Development and Recycling Committee is looking into ways to regulate speeds in the area.

“The opening of the library will bring more traffic for this area, and without people adhering to the speed limits or crosswalks there are going to be a lot of students standing there, not able to cross,” committee chair Bill Davidson said Tuesday.

The committee has discussed ideas such as having more lights put up around crosswalks and horizontal stripes being put at the crosswalks, Davidson said.

“The horizontal strips would make drivers have to stop at these crosswalks, and give the students a chance to cross,” Davidson said. “We first have to set up a meeting with the mayor to discuss these ideas for solutions to these issues.”

Last spring the Student Senate informed the mayor of the safety concern and crosswalks with flashing lights were placed on Fourth Street. However, those safety measures, meant to protect pedestrians crossing Fourth Street, have yet to eliminate the problem of speeding motorists.

On Tuesday, Dean Barber, Charleston’s interim city manager, said that if speeders are still creating a problem, it may be up to the local police to solve it.

“A request needs to made to the police department to monitor the speed in these areas if there is a problem,” Barber said.

The flashing lights designate their area a 20-mph speed zone while the lights are flashing. However, the lights are currently flashing 24 hours a day. Barber said it’s the university’s responsibility to monitor the flashing lights.

“The university was given a controller that sets the times that the flashing lights are on. Right now they are set on for 24 hours,” Barber said.