Safety Sign Project - Look When Crossing

  • This traffic sign honors the challenge of sharing the street between pedestrians and cyclists. The artists remind everybody to stay alert, even if they have the right of way.
  • The design team presented its safety sign to the Goddard Center as well as the community partners from NYC DOT.
  • The team of artists visited the NYC DOT Sign Shop to learn about how traffic signs are made and what makes them effective communication tools.
  • The NYC DOT made the group a personalized street sign to bring back to its community center.
  • After looking at existing street sign designs and discussing what makes them effective, the group developed and shared its own street sign ideas.
  • The team of artists gathers outside of the NYC DOT Sign Shop for a field trip.

Project Description

Groundswell and the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) designed the Traffic Safety Sign Residency Program to engage the community in exploring traffic safety information through the creation of original street signs. While Public School Students have been the primary participants in this program, the “Look” sign was designed collaboratively by members of the Senior Center at Goddard Riverside Community Center.  Designs were rendered by Groundswell artists, fabricated by NYC DOT’s Sign Shop, and temporarily installed in local locations that the team identified as in need of traffic signage. Through this program, participants learn about traffic safety challenges as well as how signs and symbols can work to communicate ideas and explore visual art techniques to develop graphic images. These signs then help increase safety awareness and prevent accidents in locations around each participating community. For their project, seniors from the Goddard Riverside Senior Center created a sign about safely crossing the street that represented their own experiences and research.

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Project Info

Location: 593 Columbus Avenue Manhattan, NY 10024

Fun Facts

Research
In 2011, half of all New Yorkers killed by cars at a crosswalk had a green light to cross.
Question about the Mural
Goddard Riverside Community Center members and bicyclists encounter each other often because of nearby bicycle paths. Their shared concern for safety while on the street unites them. How does public art bring these different communities together?
Fun Fact
In 2012, NYC DOT launched the "Look! Safety Campaign" and installed messages spelling "Look" with eyes drawn in the O's. If you come across one of these 110 installments, you will notice that the "eyes" look towards oncoming traffic.