Creative crosswalks

| Seen around town | Transportation | West Seattle schools

Thanks to Jerry @ JetCityOrange for sending pix of the crosswalk work by Lafayette Elementary:

The pattern is made of a heat-transfer type of plastic called DuraTherm, according to this Herald article from last month; read more about DuraTherm crosswalks here.

Think our crosswalks need more of this treatment? That’s probably something you can bring up at next Wednesday’s WS open house about how to spend millions of voter-approved city $. And steps away from this street work, a Lafayette note: School families are wrapping up Phase 1 of their playground renovation project with a volunteer planting party this Saturday. Congratulations!

Jan September 13, 2007 (11:16 pm)

very cool…

Jerry Whiting September 14, 2007 (12:29 am)

There are a few more pictures on Flickr.

Jerry

Huindekmi September 14, 2007 (7:45 am)

This is MUCH better than removing crosswalks!

Bayou September 14, 2007 (8:41 am)

This proves that even the most mundane aspects of daily life can become art when given the chance. I love it!

And I completely agree with Huindekmi- it sure makes more sense that continuing to erase the crosswalks we do have around here.

Mark September 14, 2007 (9:24 am)

A big thanks goes out to Dennis Ross with the Admiral Neighborhood Association. The design is credited to some UW students who worked with the Admiral Neighborhood a few years ago to come up with some great urban design ideas, and these crosswalks were one of them.
Dennis “hound-dogged” some City money to get these demonstration crosswalks installed. Great stuff!
Thanks, Dennis!
MW

Jan September 14, 2007 (1:15 pm)

you can’t help but notice this as a driver. Maybe instead of removing crosswalks in “questionable” places, the city should be redoing them with these types…

T. Dart September 14, 2007 (1:23 pm)

These are gorgeous! What a great addition to the Admiral Community! Way to go Admiral Junction for teaming up with students and supporting the arts – in addition to making your neighborhood more beautiful!

Forest September 14, 2007 (3:20 pm)

Actually, the idea proposed by U.W. students (one of them, anyway) was to construct one enormous compass circle in the middle of the California & Admiral intersection. Personally, I think the crosswalk pattern looks better and does more for the neighborhood, but kudos to the U.W. student who proposed it in a less functional manner.

JT September 14, 2007 (3:28 pm)

If nothing else, it sure grabs your attention, where your attention needs to be grabbed. How about 5-5 foot Java Bean Logos across Avalon ?!?!?

flipjack September 14, 2007 (7:20 pm)

Funny, because the other day I crossed the “erased” crosswalk at Fauntleroy and Rose by Lincoln Park during rush hour and the oncoming traffic stopped for me both ways right away, which never happened before when it still “existed” ….I’d encourage people to keep using the “erased” crosswalks as if they were still “there”