Can Art Make Us Safer Drivers?

Source: https://asphaltart.bloomberg.org/projects/durham-north-carolina-usa-painting-a-safer-route-to-school/

We know that art can beautify public spaces. Stillwater's Union Art Alley is an excellent example of this, as is the recently painted mural at the top of the Stillwater Stairs by Adam Turner Visuals.

My son has just started his path to earning a Bachelors of Fine Arts. I love that he's pursuing his passion - but I also hope he discovers interesting ways to use art for social good, to move the needle, to start important conversations. So when I read about "asphalt art" last week, I immediately sent him the link, text-screaming "THIS IS WHAT I MEAN!!!! SOOOO COOOOOL!!!!!"

OK, let me back up a bit. It all started with a recent article reprinted by Strong Towns talking about church parking lots – how they're unique because they're generally empty except for one day, and perhaps one or two evenings, a week when they are full. So you can't take 'em away - but can they be repurposed the other days of the week? One of the proposed ideas was to "kid-ify" the parking lot, that is, to paint it so that it could be a playground of sorts on the off days: "Parking lots can be made to feel inviting and kid-friendly, becoming places for kids to invent new games and race on scooters."

The article had a link to a website about the Asphalt Art Initiative, and down the rabbit hole I went.

Sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the focus of the initiative is on "visual interventions on roadways (intersections and crosswalks), pedestrian spaces (plazas and sidewalks), and vertical infrastructure (utility boxes, traffic barriers, and underpasses)." They give out $25,000 grants and provide training to cities to undertake such projects; Minneapolis was a recent recipient.

Just take a look at these projects. They're stunning.

Oh, but it gets better. It turns out that art like this calms traffic. It increases safety and reduces collisions at intersections. It creates bicycle lanes and pedestrian crossings that are nearly impossible to ignore. According to 2022 Bloomberg study, the street art initiative reduced collisions between vehicles and pedestrians or cyclists by 50% and increased the rate of drivers yielding to pedestrians by 27%. (Here's an NBC video about the work done in Kansas City that is pretty neat.)

And it's legit: last December, the Transportation Department published federal guidelines that "explicitly include asphalt art projects as part of the roadway design tool kit that can be used on city streets." (Go to p. 622, Chapter 3H, if you want to go even deeper down the rabbit hole.)

Source: https://asphaltart.bloomberg.org/faq/

So let's get the kids to design these things! Let's get a grant to buy the paint! Let's tackle those intersections and bike lanes! I can't wait to see what the artistic community comes up with to make our Stillwater streets both beautiful... AND safe.