Austin Council Members Approve Plan To Study Lighting Along UT-Austin 'West Campus'

AUSTIN, TX — Members of the Austin City Council on Thursday voted to launch a study centered on installing additional lighting in the University of Texas at Austin portion dubbed West Campus in the wake of concern over student safety.

The resolution was sponsored by Mayor Steve Adler calling for the study to be conducted by Austin Energy at no cost to the city. The study would focus on improving lighting for pedestrians along neighborhoods bordering the university.

The issue of poor lighting in some portions of campus came to light in the aftermath of the murder of freshman student Haruka Weiser last year. The promising young dance major was sexually assaulted and killed by a now-jailed transient youth along a dark stretch of Waller Creek running through campus. More recently, freshman Harrison Brown was stabbed to death by a fellow student—a tragedy not predicated by lack of lighting since it occurred in the daytime, but one that heightened the issue of overall safety.

In the aftermath of Weiser's killing, Patch asked university officials whether more lighting would be installed to illuminate parts of campus for night safety, particularly the darkened, creek-lined path along with the slain student walked the night she was killed. Complaints from parents and students had been registered for many years before Weiser's death.

Related stories:

Dangers of Waller Creek Where University of Texas-Austin Student Was Killed Long Known

Two Weeks After University Of Texas Murder, No Lights Along Darkened Homicide Path

"Quite apart from recent events, the university regularly reviews and installs lighting, and as you know, our campus is enormous," UT-Austin spokesman J.B. Bird told Patch in response to an April 13 emailed inquiry about potential plans for more campus illumination after Weiser's death.

>>> Photo credit: Jess Mann via WikiMedia Commons