Several weeks ago, the Tribune's editorial board voiced its support for the proposed Wells Street median in an editorial on Sept. 23. We were happy to see Marquette Student Government, the university and the city of Milwaukee effectively coordinating to improve campus and the Milwaukee community. At the time, the Tribune was told that the entire project would be finished by Dec. 1. Obviously, that deadline has not been met, as Dec. 1 was yesterday.

A recent accident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian on Wells Street — which, we note, is not the first — highlights the need to move forward quickly on the median project.

A 2006 traffic study conducted by the City of Milwaukee's Bureau of Traffic Engineering and Electrical Services observed that around 15,000 vehicles zoom through campus on Wells Street in 24 hours. Another study, conducted by the bureau in 2007, indicated about 3,620 pedestrians cross Wells Street at the 14th Street and 15th Street intersections between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. That is a lot of people trying to dodge a lot of traffic.

Our understanding is that the process has been slowed because the city is still ironing out the engineering details and working to respect Marquette's desire to have the median beautify campus, as well as provide convenience and safety. The university would like the median to look similar to the median on Wisconsin Avenue, decorated with trees and other plants, which means adding soil below the ground and installing watering and drainage systems.

The project's delay is due to the bids made by city contractors coming in later than originally planned. Now that bids for the project have been submitted, we hope the university and MUSG will push for a defined timeline. Clearly, the median project cannot move forward while there is snow on the ground. But after speaking with city officials, we were slightly disappointed in the plans. A vague "next spring" is not the timeline we had hoped for.

Safety should be a top priority for the university and the greater Milwaukee community. We fear that as time passes, this proposal will be pushed to the back burner. The Tribune would like to see a definite timeline released on this important project as soon as possible, and we encourage both the city and Marquette to make that timeline public, so students — and MUSG, which originally proposed the median — can follow its progress.