Art painted on crosswalks makes streets safer, group says

People drive slower and are more alert at crosswalks decorated with murals, study finds

When Chris Visions began painting a ground mural in Richmond, he had no idea his street art might help save lives. Since the painted crosswalk — which highlights the Jackson Ward neighborhood’s Black culture and legacy — was finished in September, the intersection became safer for pedestrians and motorists, with episodes of cars braking quickly to avoid pedestrians and other close calls reduced by eight incidents, a decline of more than 56 percent, data shows.

The overall changes were fairly small but still significant in the community, and part of a larger study in various cities that showed far fewer crashes at the art intersections compared with the prior year.

While the initial purpose of the asphalt painting was to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Jackson Ward, it came with an unexpected benefit: The mural has encouraged pedestrians and motorists to “slow down and take safety into consideration,” said Visions, 37, a local comic book artist and muralist.

The mural — which was created with a group of art students from a local arts nonprofit — is one of three new crosswalk art projects in Richmond, all part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative. The nonprofit has funded 42 street murals in 41 cities across the country since 2019, with grants of up to $25,000.

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Author: Sydney Page

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