Leon County, KCCI Unveil Colorful Crosswalks near W.T. Moore, Westminster Oaks
Yesterday, Leon County Government, in collaboration with the Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI), unveiled elevated and visually captivating crosswalks along Dempsey Mayo Road to enhance pedestrian safety while fostering a shared community appreciation for public art, elevating them from mundane to mesmerizing. The artwork adorning these crosswalks is an integral component of KCCI's Crosswalks to Classrooms initiative.
The elevated crosswalks on Dempsey Mayo Road at Emerald Chase, Meandering Way, and the entrance of W.T. Moore Elementary School were installed by Leon County following a technical study commissioned by the County, which concluded that these elevated crosswalks would improve pedestrian safety. The public art project was funded in part by AARP Community Challenge, which provides small grants to fund quick-action projects that help communities become more livable for people of all ages.
“The County is proud of our continuous partnership with KCCI to bring important, creative projects such as Crosswalks to Classrooms to life for the community,” said Leon County Chairman Nick Maddox. “Projects such as this exemplify Leon County’s ongoing efforts to provide and ensure safe public infrastructure for all citizens.”
KCCI’s Crosswalks to Classrooms initiative decorates crosswalks with colorful artwork designed by local artists to promote safer pedestrian crossing. Utilizing traffic patterns and crash data to identify potential sites and working in collaboration with county and city officials, KCCI engages nearby schools, neighborhoods and organizations. Notably, these three artistic crosswalk installations on Dempsey Mayo Road signify the 12th, 13th, and 14th additions to the series of artistic crosswalks, all of which are located outside the seventh school a part of the campaign. In total, more than 3,500 Leon County students have been impacted as a part of this campaign.
“Citizens of all ages in this district and the community are going to benefit from the installation of these elevated, artful crosswalks,” said Leon County District 4 Commissioner Brian Welch. “We appreciate the Westminster Oaks community, whose sustained involvement played an important role in molding and guiding the project.”
The crosswalks are located adjacent to both W.T. Moore Elementary School and the Westminster Oaks Retirement Community. The designs applied to the crosswalks are in the nearby school colors, including green, yellow, and white. These crosswalks represent a pioneering approach in Leon County and the wider region, as they utilize color-safe materials that are anticipated to maintain their vibrancy for up to eight years.
“The County’s ongoing partnership with KCCI continues to merge creativity and innovation to make projects such as Crosswalks to Classrooms a reality,” said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long. “In combining important public safety infrastructure with the incorporation of public art, citizens now can feel much safer when crossing these intersections.”
Artistic crosswalks are proven to benefit the safety of pedestrians as well as initiate a change in driver behavior in these areas. Research by Florida State University shows that crosswalk murals may result in a 10 percent decrease in drivers running intersection stop signs and a six percent increase in drivers coming to a full stop at intersections. Implementing the display of these murals on the elevated crosswalks will help slow down traffic and increase the safety and comfort of pedestrians in the area.
“KCCI was eager to work with the County again in making such an innovative project happen,” said Betsy Couch, KCCI Executive Director. “To see this installment of our Crosswalks to Classrooms campaign implemented puts a smile on our faces. We look forward to the positive impact this will have on all County citizens.”
For more information about the Crosswalks to Classrooms project, visit KCCITallahassee.com/CrosswalksToClassrooms.
About the Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI): Established in 2007, KCCI annually selects and organizes volunteers known as Community Catalysts to implement placemaking projects. These projects have helped enhance Tallahassee’s sense of place and generated nearly $1 billion in economic development. A new group of volunteer Community Catalysts is selected to plan and implement each annual project. KCCI is made possible by partners including: Knight Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation of North Florida, Archibald Foundation, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, VyStar Credit Union, Taproot, FAMU School of Business and Industry, Florida State University College of Business, NAI TALCOR, Structure Real Estate, Nolia & Bill Brandt, Lewis + Whitlock, Wood + Partners, Brown & Brown, BowStern Marketing, Serena and Jon Moyle, Cassidy and Company, Tharpe Construction, Flightline Group, Inc., Dentist Dr. Cory Couch, and Charlie Johnson.
The AARP Community Challenge is a grant program to make tangible improvements in communities that jump-start long-term change. It is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages. To learn more, visit AARP.org/Livable.
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