ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Bloomberg Philanthropies, a charitable organization founded by former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, produced its annual Asphalt Art Guide highlighting the project in October.

It detailed how the $30,000 project is helping ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ build a “safe, accessible, and equitable transportation network to improve mobility for all residents.â€�

In October 2018, the Living Streets Alliance, a nonprofit advocating for safer streets, and 200 community volunteers collaborated to transform the intersection in one day, using “low-cost, temporary materials like planters, concrete paint, and flexible delineators to demarcate the newly created space for pedestrians,� the guide said.

Now the mix of white, blue, orange and purple diamond-shaped figures line the intersection and drivers are complying with the reconfiguration.

The University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ collected data before and after the installation was in place. They found that drivers were more likely to come to a full stop, from a 69% to an 82% compliance rate, the guide said.

“Also, as far as driver behavior goes, we’ve eliminated some of those bizarre turning movements, so everybody has to pull up to the stop bar whether going straight or making a turn and it’s more ordered,� said Kylie Walzak, program manager with the Living Streets Alliance.

Prior to the changes, crossing the intersection was a dangerous task for pedestrians, she said.

“The thing we saw most was that people riding bikes and driving cars were not stopping at the four-way intersection,� Walzak added.

About five months after the alliance pitched the changes to the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Department of Transportation in May 2018, installation of the project was underway after a week of prep work, which including moving stop signs.

The alliance accomplished the project with money garnered from applying for grants, such as $10,000 from AARP.

And the changes have been worth it, Walzak said.

“Because of the narrowing of the street by putting those flex posts in, you’re really restricting the movements of the cars, so people are way more visible,� Walzak said. “You’re already walking out into the intersection still protected by the flex posts in the painted area before you hit the crosswalk and people can see you.�

For the future, Walzak and the alliance hope the new safety feature has a lasting impact in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.

“We’ve overbuilt space for cars in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and we need to start aggressively resizing our streets to be more livable and it doesn’t have to be expensive or ugly, it can beautiful, whimsical, fun and it can be done relatively cheaply.â€�

However, there’s one main hurdle for more projects: money.

“I hope that his shows neighbors and neighborhoods and the Department of Transportation that this is highly desirable,� Walzak said.

“People want to fund these kinds of things. They want to see these transformations happen quickly. We don’t have to wait for safe streets, we can get our neighbors together and bust it out in a weekend.�

Down the Road

New signals installed on Interstate 10 interchanges: Construction crews are scheduled to activate new signal systems at the Interstate 10 interchanges at South Kolb and South Rita roads on Tuesday.

The work will last until Friday, Nov. 15, on the north side of the Rita Road interchange and the south side of the Kolb Road interchange.

Motorists should expect delays in the areas.

Road repair work planned in Pima County: Construction crews will begin repaving North La Cholla Boulevard from West Limewood Drive to West Moore Road from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting Tuesday. The work will last until Monday, Nov. 18.

On Thursday, crews will be repaving North Avenida Del Oro from East Stallion Lane to East Palomino Lane from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The roadwork is expected to end by Nov. 18.

Bear Canyon repaving: Paving work on North Bear Canyon Road from the city limits to the end of the road will take place each day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Crews should complete the work by Dec. 10.