The mantra of the Easy Streets campaign, which was implemented in summer 2007, is to “address the safety concerns of pedestrians and cyclists, enhance the timing of bus schedules, and encourage alternative methods of transportation to and from campus.”So far, so good.Easy Streets is an inconvenience — there’s little argument to the contrary. The various gates across campus make it nearly impossible for students to park anywhere close to their classes.But the campaign is also necessary. Statistics show the Easy Streets campaign is on its way to accomplishing its original purpose. And students need to put on their walking shoes and learn to deal with it.LSU Police Department Maj. Helen Hare said on-campus traffic collisions decreased from 466 between September 2006 and September 2007 to 432 between September 2007 and September 2008.Those numbers seem small at first glance. But considering how we all know University students have a tendency to ignore crosswalks and traffic signals, any decrease is a positive.The campaign has also led to a decline in the number of on-campus traffic tickets — from 62,000 in the 2006-2007 academic year to about 30,000 last academic year.Though the campaign has been effective based on numbers, it’s far from perfect.Motorcycles and scooters are some of the few vehicles still allowed to whiz by the gates. In many ways, these smaller vehicles are more dangerous than normal sized automobiles. They usually travel faster and are harder to see.Additionally, it’s not fair these select students who drive these vehicles are allowed access to campus when other students aren’t. No one should be able to “cheat the system.”The campaign can also improve the consistency of its operations.Easy Streets gates are supposed to be in use Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. from 4:30 p.m. But gates usually open anywhere between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.This becomes a hassle for students who don’t come to class until around that time. One day, they’re able to park near night classes. The next day, they aren’t.Those minor problems need to be addressed in the future. But the numbers don’t lie, and if students have no gripe with walking a mile for a football game, they shouldn’t mind the sacrifice of a 10-minute walk to class.—-contact the Editorial Board at [email protected]