Esther Rose-Wilen and Jim Travers paint the Street Smarts logo at York and Cedar.
At a spot where a medical student was killed by a car four years ago, volunteers gathered Sunday to spread a traffic-calming message.
Abigail Roth, one of the event organizers, sent in the following report:
The city’s Street Smarts campaign became more visible at the busy intersections around Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Smilow Cancer Center on June 3, thanks to the work of volunteers partnering with the City of New Haven, Yale University, and Yale-New Haven Hospital.
This is the fourth year volunteers have used art to spread the message of traffic safety. When this project first took place in 2009, a large, colorful elm leaf mural was painted directly on the street at the intersection of Cedar and York Streets. The idea came from a graduate of Yale Medical School, Erica Mintzer ‘09. She was one of many medical students who dedicated themselves to improving traffic safety in New Haven after their fellow student, Mila Rainof MED ‘08, died after being hit by a car near the Medical School. The mural was intended to slow motorists down, beautify the public space, and make people feel more connected to the space. Yale-New Haven Hospital and the City of New Haven were great supporters of the project.
The elm leaf mural unfortunately lasted only for a few days because of its location on a heavily-trafficked road. Therefore in 2010, it was decided to instead paint smaller stencil designs directly on the sidewalk on York Street. This was a great success: having the City’s bright Orange Street Smarts logo at curb cuts leading to intersections reminds pedestrians to use care crossing the street.
Lindsey Ruminski spray paints the Street Smarts logo at York and Cedar in front of the Yale New Haven Hospital main entrance.
Last year the project expanded beyond York Street. Volunteers joined with students from Solar Youth to paint logos near Katherine Brennan and Clarence Rogers schools. This year the project expanded in a different direction, to celebrate the City and Yale-New Haven hospital finishing a project to upgrade 12 intersections around the Smilow Cancer Center. Along with repainting crosswalks and installing material on the curb cuts to assist people with disabilities, new traffic signals at the intersections are equipped with fully coordinated, demand-responsive controller systems, including countdown screens. To recognize this important project, and enhance its safety message, the logos were painted at several intersections with the new signals, including where South Frontage intersects with York, Park, and Howe Streets.
Besides improving traffic safety, this project importantly brings together the New Haven community. The City and YNHH provided wonderful support for the project with Jim Travers, Director, Transportation, Traffic, and Parking, volunteering his time early on a Sunday morning to paint logos and Nick Proto, Director, Protective Services and Parking at YNHH and Steve Merz, VP, Administration, YNHH providing invaluable logistical support. New Haven residents, including Esther Rose-Wilen from Wilbur Cross High School and Lindsey Ruminski of JCBA; Yale employee Kim Heard of Environmental Health and Safety; and Yale alumni-employees Abby Roth and Beth Miller, participating in a “belated” Yale Day of Service event, all joined together for this fun but important project. The participants look forward to continuing making New Haven’s streets safer.
Click here for more information on the Street Smarts campaign.
Maybe we need a distinct marking on the street at each location a person has been killed or maimed.