FSU RESEARCH SHOWS ARTISTIC CROSSWALKS IMPROVE SAFETY
FSU RESEARCH SHOWS ARTISTIC CROSSWALKS IMPROVE SAFETY
Latest event is the last chance to participate in painting a Crosswalks to Classrooms project
TALLAHASSEE, FL (Oct. 7, 2023) – Students from Hartsfield Elementary, professional artist Jay Giroux, volunteers from the Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI), and community leaders to bring a Crosswalks to Classrooms asphalt art project to its neighborhood. The crosswalk is located at the school’s main entrance on Chowkeebin Nene. KCCI and the City of Tallahassee’s Crosswalks to Classrooms initiative decorates high-use crosswalks near schools with an array of bright colors and eye-catching designs while engaging students, enhancing safety, and improving the livability of streets.
“Seeing this year’s initiative continue to grow within our city and county is beyond exciting,” said KCCI Executive Director Betsy Couch. “KCCI’s purpose is to initiate and implement innovative ideas that create a sense of place, serve to help attract and retain creative individuals, young professionals and college graduates, and unite the community in creative ways.”
When studying pre- and post-behavior at the artistic Crosswalks to Classrooms painted near Cobb Middle School and Kate Sullivan Elementary, newly released findings from Florida State University show that crosswalk murals may increase public safety at stop sign controlled intersections through a 10 percent decrease in drivers running the stop sign and a 6 percent increase in drivers coming to a full stop at the intersection.
KCCI’s Crosswalks to Classrooms initiative decorates crosswalks with colorful artwork designed by local artists and painted by students to promote community engagement and safer pedestrian crossing. Utilizing traffic patterns and crash data to identify potential sites and working in collaboration with city and county officials, KCCI engages nearby schools, neighborhoods and organizations to explore their interest and support of this unique opportunity.
Previous Crosswalks to Classrooms sites include Kate Sullivan Elementary, Cobb Middle School, DeSoto Trail Elementary, FAMU DRS, and Sabal Palm Elementary. The Crosswalks to Classrooms at Hartsfield Elementary is made possible thanks to the support and involvement of Envision Credit Union, KCCI and the City of Tallahassee. Other schools or neighborhoods interested in implementing their own Crosswalks to Classrooms project are invited to learn more and use the step-by-step toolkit available on KCCI’s website.
“Envision Credit Union is proud to partner with KCCI to support these efforts and to invest in a project we believe benefits students, educators and the community at large,” said Envision Credit Union Vice President of Community Development Kelli Walter. “When we see how initiatives like Crosswalks to Classrooms can promote students’ safety every day, we know we are helping make a difference. No single organization can take on an important mission like this alone and we are proud to be a partner working alongside other passionate organizations.”
Crosswalks to Classrooms is the latest of KCCI’s placemaking projects in Tallahassee. Past projects include the iconic TLH letters, Fully Booked Tallahassee, Art of the Box, Discovery at Cascades Park playscape, ELLAvate (the aesthetic improvements and improved seating around Lake Ella), The Frenchtown Farmers Market, and more. These and other KCCI projects have yielded nearly $1 billion in economic impact while fostering community involvement and engagement. The volunteer 2023 KCCI Community Catalyst team members are Susan Aarons, Alan Amidon, Quia Atkinson, Anna-Kay Hutchison, Amina Kassem, Christina Lynch, Holly McPhail, David Powell, Fern, Senra-James, Lindsay Slautterback, and Tristan Williams.
To apply to be a KCCI Catalyst for 2024, visit KCCITallahassee.com in the “Get Involved” section.
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About KCCI: Established in 2007, KCCI is a local organization committed to positive placemaking and community collaboration in Tallahassee. KCCI projects have generated nearly $1 billion in economic impact for Leon County. A new group of volunteer Community Catalysts is selected to plan and implement each annual project. KCCI is made possible by partners including: Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, VyStar Credit Union, Taproot, FAMU School of Business and Industry, FSU College of Business, NAI Talcor, Structure Real Estate, Nolia & Bill Brandt, Architects Lewis + Whitlock, Wood + Partners, Brown & Brown, BowStern Marketing, Serena & Jon Moyle, Cassidy and Company, Tharpe Construction, Flightline Group, Inc., Dr. Cory Couch, Charlie Johnson, Knight Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation of North Florida, and Archibald Foundation. www.KCCITallahassee.com.