9:45 AM: Received early this morning and attributed to the “Green Light District” – a new feature at 22nd/Roxbury. We’re going over for a daylight look.
ADDED 11:21 AM: A view from the northeast side, on the berm by the Community School of West Seattle:
Loving the cleverness. There’s an artist in Toronto that does this type of urban art :)
We are so happy with this ‘Random Act of Art’. It was such a surprise to see it this morning. THANK YOU to the Green Light District-whoever you are xxx
We love it too! And after speaking with SDOT this morning, they don’t like to see crosswalks that weren’t painted by them, but “Our City Traffic Engineer will make the call about the new pavement crosswalk markings. We may choose to leave it and let it fade away or remove it.” I have it on good authority that unless made permanent, it will fade in 6-8 months.
It would seem that our City should appreciate someone doing it for them-although I am sure those union workers don’t appreciate it. However these kinds of things only enhance the safety of our community, the collaboration of community members and the joy and delight of every person walking across it or driving by it. It’s the little things that make a big difference and as citizens I think we should feel empowered to take such ‘small’ things in to our own hands. It is after all OUR community.
I don’t feel comfortable with people altering crosswalks in the name of art. This doesn’t sit well with me. It looks distracting – and if a driver’s focusing on the “art” whilst someone is crossing, it could have catastrophic consequences.
Art in crosswalks is even officially installed sometimes. See the installation by Lafayette Elementary/Hiawatha/Safeway:https://westseattleblog.com/2007/09/creative-crosswalks
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featured in an international roundup
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http://weburbanist.com/2012/05/27/10-more-creative-crosswalks-zany-zebra-crossings/
Tacoma had people doing similar things, they ended up having to pay workers to remove it. Crosswalks that get painted are required to be approved by the city. Like it or not, this just cost us a ton of $.
I like it. I don’t see any reason to remove it, as it is at a stop sign location, crossing a residential street. If it were crossing Roxbury instead of 22nd, it would be a safety issue.
The effort in Tacoma seems to involve crossing major arterials. A marked crosswalk can give people, especially kids, a false sense of security.
Most drivers do not seem to know that there is an imaginary crosswalk at every intersection, drawn across the street from sidewalk to sidewalk. I say “most” because of how few cars ever stop for me when I try and cross a busy street. People will mostly swerve, honk and/or exchange obscene gestures with me.
Thanks especially for reminder #3, Alan. On the road side of that equation, I have about a 98% success rate of spotting waiting pedestrians and stopping for them – then watching the rear-view mirror in trepidation for the occasional oblivious driver barreling toward but unable to interpret our brake lights … Wish cars came with the flashing STOP signs/lights that school buses use, for deployment when pausing for pedestrians. – TR
I like the art. However, as Alan mentioned, a marked crosswalk actually doesn’t necessarily make an intersection safer. In some cases, it may even make it less safe because pedestrians think they don’t have to worry.
http://www.techtransfer.berkeley.edu/newsletter/03-2/crosswalk.php
I wish the city would spring for a can of paint for the many completely worn-out crosswalk markings around here, but I guess that would be asking too much.
Seattle urban life has seemed so bleak lately, that this whimsy is much appreciated. Please city workers, just leave it alone. Looks like a usable crosswalk to me and might even make drivers smile a little and decide to stop for foot traffic. They usually don’t these days.
Bunch of squares in here, don’t panic folks the great minds at the city don’t need to make every decision for us.
WSH seniors take note – Do stuff like this on Charlestown hill around graduation time every year and you will win the locals over by storm.
It does not appear to be permanent paint and will probably wash off by the fall-it shouldn’t cost us anything.
And while I hear the concern for potential safety risks the study you quote is about UNCONTROLLED areas with no stop signs. 22nd HAS a stop sign. And that same study says “The study did NOT conclude that all marked crosswalks are “unsafe.” Other studies have tried, un-conclusively, to address this same issue since the Herms study, however disagreement and confusion remain.”
Sorry that just is not enough to argue that point.
There is art all over the place, wall murals, statues, beautiful plants and fabulously painted fences……..and giant billboards whose very purpose is to get your attention while driving-with all due respect a black and white stripped crosswalk the shape of piano keys is hardly any different from a black and white stripped crosswalk!
Safety is to be taken seriously. Especially when it concerns kids crossing streets. The discussion is worthwhile.
I wonder how many “what about the children” conversations Wallingford had to suffer through when they got their big ladybugs painted in some intersections.
Public art is great. This is clever and harmless enough, and it adds a little eclecticism to West Seattle. Way to go, Green Light District.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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