A temporary median strip will be constructed on Grand Avenue early this April, according to High Winds Fund Director Tom Welna.

The asphalt strip will extend from Winton Health Center to Bigelow Hall, covering the center of the street now marked by yellow stripes.

Welna said that the median is meant to calm the flow of traffic through the Macalester campus and increase the safety of those crossing Grand Avenue. He added that if it proves effective, a permanent median will be constructed in May..

"In any day given day you have the opportunity for tens of thousands of accidents," said Welna. About 2,000 pedestrians and 30,000 cars use the Macalester section of Grand Avenue each weekday.

Welna said that a committee of 10 MCSG members will collaborate with the High Winds Fund in determining how to measure the effectiveness of the test median, possibly by surveying pedestrians. A public awareness campaign this spring hopes to encourage students and drivers to think about how they use the street.

The Saint Paul Public Works department will construct and fund the test median.