Agree. The pedestrian volume is incredibly high here and somehow needs to be acknowledged, as quickly as possible. A raised-table type of crosswalk, rather than a narrow one, would probably be a best practice solution. The only alternative that does not involve a crosswalk would be to narrow the road, while adding enough park and sidewalk space at each side to enable higher pedestrian volumes to flow to the two existing intersections. By improving the overall environment of the area, this would encourage better pedestrian and driver behavior in general.

In addition to a crosswalk, speeds in the area need to be reduced in order to eliminate the risk inherent in high speed vehicle-pedestrian collisions. A pedestrian has a <5% likelihood of death if hit at 20mph, versus a 45% chance of death if hit at 30mph. If nothing is done, we are guaranteed to continue to see major injuries and fatalities on this stretch of Elm Street each year.

If nothing else, that is something the city and University should immediately consider and address.

Here's an example of a best practice crosswalk. The crosswalks themselves are lit up. If it's good enough for Amherst, it's good enough for New Haven:

https://www.amherst.edu/offices/facilities/capital_projects/project_archives/crosswalks_college

The Amherst crosswalk is in a location with a much lower pedestrian and driver volume, of course (they were recording average speeds in the area that are actually much higher than what we have on Elm Street), so an even more progressive approach is needed here.