It was 11:37 p.m. on Halloween, and it was raining heavily. I was on my way to drive a friend home. The rain didn’t seem to stop pouring. The high-beam headlights on my car didn’t do much to light the dimly lit road ahead of me. I got concerned, but I drove slowly. 

My speed seemed to irritate a certain Ford F-250 driver, who tailgated me along Nicholson until I turned, in which he sped past me and honked his horn. Whatever, at least I was safe.

I don’t really blame the F-250 driver; I know I was going under the speed limit, and for good reason, too: I couldn’t see the road. Between the lights of the car tailgating me, the rain and the darkness outside, I was afraid of running into something or slipping off the road.

Of course, there’s an easy solution to this, and that is to install light posts along Nicholson Drive. LSU or the city, whoever is tasked with installing the streetlights, can install them near the sidewalk that runs along Nicholson.

Not only would this improve visibility on Nicholson itself, but it would also increase the visibility on the sidewalk that runs alongside the street. This sidewalk passes Tigerland and extends to West Lee Drive, connecting campus to the developing Ben Hur area. Hypothetically, I could bike the entire route from Brightside Drive to campus without going into the road, making it a safer alternative and biking more ecologically friendly than driving.

This lighting would make it safer for students living off Nicholson and those who want to safely go to a bar without driving. Even though the data for 2023 is better than the years that passed, 221 people in Louisiana lost their lives due to drunk drivers. If the sidewalks were lit up throughout the route, students would be less likely to want to drive to and from a bar, especially if they’ll be intoxicated afterwards.

I am surprised and a bit disappointed that the city of Baton Rouge or LSU didn’t address the fact that there are no street lights over here. It seems like such an obvious blind spot, which is very noticeable after LSU football games or any other event.

In summary, we must push for more lighting along Nicholson because it would be safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. Installing lights isn’t as terribly expensive as other ventures, with each lamppost only costing around $3000. This way, we can shine a light on a brighter, safer future for the city of Baton Rouge.
Andrew Sarhan is an 18-year-old mass communication freshman from Baton Rouge, La.