Walking to Chick-fil-A from campus will now be safer for students thanks to the addition of a crosswalk between the restaurant and Watson Memorial Library.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, NSU and the NSU Foundation worked together to develop the crosswalk.

The crosswalk includes two rapid flashing beacons that pedestrians can activate with the push of a button.

Erin Buchanan, public information officer for the Department of Transportation and Development, said pedestrians need to be aware that they should be using the beacons when they are ready to cross the street. This is so that drivers will more easily be able to see them.

“We would like to remind pedestrians that they need to utilize the button,” Buchanan said.

To prevent unnecessary congestion, Buchanan said motorists should be reminded that although they should be driving with caution through the area, they only need to stop if someone is waiting to cross.

Aside from construction on the crosswalk itself, there have also been significant changes to the library’s parking lot.

Jennifer Kelly, assistant to the provost for academic support and auxiliary services, said the entrance and exit to the parking lot have flipped. Now, vehicles will enter across from the NSU Marketplace and exit across from North Street. This will change the flow of traffic in order to make it safer for pedestrians.

However, since the entrance and exit are backwards from what they were before, drivers should be cautious and make sure they are turning in the correct spots.

Jessica Clark, sophomore, said she believes the crosswalk was necessary because she used to feel unsafe walking to Chick-fil-A.

The crosswalk was finished just in time for the first week of classes.