Years: 2023
The 2023 Knight Creative Communities Institute’s (KCCI) Community Catalyst team is creating asphalt art projects at intersections and crosswalks in Tallahassee to improve safety for students and drivers as they travel to and from school. The Crosswalks to Classrooms initiative incorporates STEAM principles and pairs local artists with students to create visually appealing art to bring attention to drivers that students may be crossing the road, so they should be alert and slow down.
The first Crosswalks to Classrooms project was completed in Tallahassee at crosswalks near Kate Sullivan Elementary and Cobb Middle Schools, thanks to funding from the Foundation for Leon County Schools. Preliminary research from FSU shows this project is changing driver behavior with a nearly 30% increase in drivers stopping before the crosswalks once they were painted as compared to before being painted. Additional evidence is highlighted below. To date, we have improved safety, enhanced livability, and provided a creative educational learning opportunity for 2,196 students by creating five colorful “Crosswalks to Classrooms” near four schools where significant safety improvements were needed.
Crosswalks to Classrooms builds on the success of previous projects including Fully Booked Tallahassee and Art of the Box, among others. Led by KCCI’s volunteer “Community Catalysts,” the team implements sense of place projects each year that support Tallahassee’s economic vitality while working to attract, retain and harness talent and increase entrepreneurship. KCCI projects are sustainable, typically tie in with civic infrastructure and always bring a variety of people together. Past projects have generated nearly $1 billion in economic impact.
Evidence this Works
Bloomberg Philanthropies, a leader in promoting asphalt art for safety purposes, released the following data in its 2022 Asphalt Art Safety Study. 
Comparing the average of crash rates for before-and-after analysis periods, results from the Historical Crash Analysis include:
- 50% decrease in the rate of crashes involving pedestrians or other vulnerable road users
- 37% decrease in the rate of crashes leading to injuries
- 17% decrease in the total crash rate
Similarly, The Observational Behavior Assessment indicates:
- 25% decrease in pedestrian crossings involving a conflict with drivers
- 27% increase in frequency of drivers immediately yielding to pedestrians with the right of way
- 38% decrease in pedestrians crossing against the walk signal
Thanks to our Sponsors
KCCI utilizes traffic patterns and crash data to identify potential sites and then works in collaboration with local government officials, schools, neighborhoods and organizations to explore their interest and support of this unique opportunity. The following sites have been completed in Tallahassee thanks to numerous sponsors.
- FAMU Developmental Research School, Monday, July 31, at 9:00 a.m.
- Sabal Palm Community Partnerhip School Phase 1, Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at 8:30 a.m.
- DeSoto Trail Elementary, Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
- Kate Sullivan/Cobb Middle Schools, Saturday, September 24, 2022
What’s Next?
The current KCCI Catalyst Team has four more projects planned for 2023. If you would like to volunteer or support this artful solution, let us know!
- Sabal Palm Community Partnership School Phase 2, Placemaking Week, Saturday, September 23, at 10:00 a.m.
- Hartsfield Elementary, Saturday, October 7, at 10:00 a.m.
- W.T. Moore and Westminster Oaks, October/November TBA
- Florida State University, November TBA
Don’t see your local school listed but want to see one of these beautiful traffic calming crosswalks in your neighborhood? Download our Crosswalks to Classrooms Toolkit today.