RICHMOND, Va. -- The intersection of Laurel Street and West Main Street is one of the busiest in Richmond.
According to a review, VCU Police say, drivers pass through the intersection about one million times each week.
That same intersection is where Mahrokh Khan, a 22-year-old student, was killed crossing the street. It happened Jan. 27, around 9 a.m.
"I've seen far too many stories like this," said Noah Holmes Foster, a recent VCU grad who studied Urban and Regional Planning. "A lot of people have died on our streets."
Khan's death hit hard for Holmes Foster, who spent most of his college career learning about traffic calming measures and pedestrian safety, often hearing about stories of pedestrians being hit due to a variety of circumstances. He now works as a community planner for a consulting firm.
"I just found myself getting more and more frustrated with the hesitance to implement solutions that can be done today. Right now. With relatively low cost," Holmes Foster said.
That frustration led him to send a letter to Richmond City Council to act, saying: "The death of Mahrokh Khan after being struck by a car on the VCU Monroe Park Campus, as well as other injuries and deaths that receive far less media coverage, serves as a reminder that planning for improvements to be made over the next 5, 10, or 20 years is not enough."
The letter goes on to read: "There are countless low-cost, temporary solutions that can be implemented on a trial basis to make our streets safer overnight."
One of the ways to do that, he said, is by making crosswalks more visible.
"Today, we can take out some paint, we can take out some cones, some buckets with concrete or a trash can, take your pick," he said. "Dedicate a bit more space for pedestrians, make it a little bit more uncomfortable for drivers, because you are on VCU's campus. You should be aware."
He said that could deter drivers from parking illegally, creating blind spots near intersections where students cross between class changes.
Holmes Foster also mentioned speed-lowering techniques for that intersection, which currently has a 25 mph speed limit, could greatly impact pedestrian safety.
According to a report by AAA's Foundation for Traffic Safety, the average risk for severe injury for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle reaches 25% at 23 mph, and 50% at 31 mph.
Holmes Foster said based on the width of the intersection, drivers are more likely to drive above the speed limit.
"It's all about lowering the design speed because you can't just rely on enforcement, you can't just rely on drivers to just follow the speed limit. The road needs to be designed for the speed you want people to be traveling. And in this area, that shouldn't be 25, in my mind," he said.
In February, Richmond City Council passed several ordinances that would strengthen pedestrian and cyclist safety on Cary Street, starting at Arthur Ashe Bolevard and ending at North Belvidere.
The project is set to cost $1.8 million. Federal funding would pay for majority of the cost, leaving the City responsible for paying just $350,000 of the cost.
CBS 6 reached out to the city to see when the projects could be completed, and did not get a response.
According to a spokesperson for the department, VCU Police recently met with city leaders to discuss infrastructure improvements and is exploring a consulting partnership to study traffic safety to identify projects that will improve safety.
It is also increasing routine traffic and parking enforcement, as well as working to deter pedestrians from crossing streets when it is unsafe to do so.
Holmes Foster said he appreciates the City's dedication to making the roads safer for all, but said a few hundred dollars to buy things like traffic cones or bollards could be a temporary fix. Improvement projects and studies could last months or even years.
"I don't want people at the City level to be able to forget Marohk Khan and so many others who just haven't made the headlines, and that's what scares me the most. Someone lost their life just going to class, I assume, and that can come and go, and nothing could change."
Police have yet to announce whether charges will be filed in the case. According to RPD records, the investigation is listed as ‘pending - active.’
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