Can Art Make City Streets Safer for Walking and Biking?

By Alison Gillespie - June 25, 2024

A Tour of Painted Intersections in Baltimore

Saturday, July 20
Gather at 8:30 am for coffee and snacks
Walk begins at 9am

Join Maryland artist Graham Coreil-Allen, Bikemore, and Bike Maryland for a walking tour and discussion of the ways that art can be added to intersections to increase safety and a sense of place.

Location: R.House
301 W 29th Street
Baltimore, MD

This event is free – but please register

After the walk we will reconvene at R.House for some social time.

This event will be held rain or shine, so dress appropriately.

Background

This year the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) was changed to allow the integration of pavement art into traffic infrastructure in new ways, and some studies have shown that such creative additions can greatly reduce the number of crashes involving pedestrians. Asphalt art can also be used for placemaking. The change in the MUTCD opens the possibility that more of these installations could be created in locations across the state.

This 1.7 mile walking tour will begin and end at the R.House food hall in the Remington neighborhood of Baltimore. Stops and discussion will include painted bump outs, the 28th Street cycletrack, several painted crosswalks, and Remingtopo, a large painted area at the corner of 27th and Remington Street. The artist will discuss how this type of art can be used for traffic calming and wayfinding and to infuse public spaces with a sense of play and intrigue.

About the artist

Graham Coreil-Allen is the founder of Graham Projects, a Baltimore-based design-build agency making cities more inclusive and livable through public art, placemaking, and civic engagement. The firm produces participatory projects in the service of pedestrians and places and collaborates with neighbors to leverage community engagement and participatory design strategies for creative placemaking projects including traffic calming pavement murals, quick-build urban design features, artistic wayfinding, and immersive sculptures.

About the host organizers

Bikemore advocates for policies and infrastructure that create thriving neighborhoods in Baltimore. We work to expand protected bicycle infrastructure between our neighborhoods and work within neighborhoods to ensure policies are in place so the goods and services people need are easily accessed on foot or by bike. We focus on putting people before cars and expanding opportunity for all of Baltimore’s residents. Bikemore is Baltimore’s always-on transportation advocate.

Bike Maryland advocates on the state and county levels and works with government agencies to develop policy and awareness campaigns that protect the rights and well-being of bicyclists in Maryland. We partner with advocacy organizations, state and local government, universities, businesses and communities to make bicycling a safe form of transportation and a fun recreational opportunity for all.

Questions? alison@bikemd.org