In light of the recent collision on the intersection of Frey Road and the Skip Spann Connector, KSU student-organization, B.R.I.D.G.E, is working towards their goal of building a pedestrian bridge.
Most Kennesaw State University students have had dangerous run-ins with roadways, crosswalks, or cars. Unfortunately, these incidents have become more than an anecdote—they have become a major concern for students and staff.
On January 16, 2025, a two-car collision occurred at the intersection of Frey Road and the Skip Spann Connector. The crash’s impact pushed one of the cars into a pedestrian-safe walking zone, colliding with 19-year-old Alyssa Stringer. Stringer had to have one leg amputated due to her injuries, making this one of the most dangerous traffic-related accidents to have occurred on the Kennesaw State campus.
The impact of this near-deadly collision has been felt in the morale of students across campus. With many students having to cross Frey Road and its surrounding areas, safety has become a major concern.
“I used to go running [along Frey Road],” said one anonymous freshman. “Now, I don’t feel safe enough to.”
The push for better pedestrian and vehicular safety has been at the forefront of students minds. Freshman pre-med major Joshua Fowler has spearheaded the creation of a new registered student organization that seeks to enhance roadway safety for all parties across campus.
Fowler calls the organization “B.R.I.D.G.E.,” an acronym for Building Roads In Defense Of Guarded Education.
This name reflects Fowler’s ultimate goal with the RSO: creating a pedestrian bridge over Frey Road that will allow pedestrians to safely cross between the campus and the nearby East Economy Lot.
“We’re pushing for better pedestrian [and vehicle] safety around the college campus,” states Fowler. “And then, you know, [the Frey Road bridge] is more of a ‘ten years down the line’ thing.”
All Kennesaw State registered student organizations must have a faculty sponsor. B.R.I.D.G.E. is sponsored by Chris Sharpe, a professor of Library Sciences and various honors-level classes. Fowler first met Sharpe last semester; Sharpe taught the 1100-level Honors class required for first-year honors students. For the class’s final project, the group was challenged to design a re-routing of Kennesaw’s Noonday Creek Trail. To Fowler, this project served as an inspiration for how B.R.I.D.G.E. plans to operate.
“It was a really good class because it taught us all the things we needed to know to start a project like this,” says Fowler.
However, the motivation behind B.R.I.D.G.E.’s formation was the January Frey Road incident. Fowler described witnessing the aftermath of the crash on his walk back to his car.
“I drive through Atlanta…every single day, five days a week,” Fowler explained. “I’ve never seen that many emergency vehicles in the same spot in my entire life.”
The ultimate goal of B.R.I.D.G.E. is a pedestrian bridge over Frey Road, but their minor goals are no less vital to the organization. B.R.I.D.G.E. plans to promote more pedestrian signs, traffic safety information, and smaller pedestrian bridges across both Kennesaw State campuses. He hopes that university and Cobb County officials will cooperate and compromise with students and faculty.
“This is an interdisciplinary project, [with majors] from Civil Engineering to Political Science,” says Fowler. “We just want to spread the word…we’re trying to make sure no one else gets hurt, or even worse, loses their life.”
B.R.I.D.G.E. can currently be contacted through the RSO’s GroupMe chat. Fowler expects an OwlLife page to be set up in the coming weeks.
