ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – Reconnect Rochester will install the second set of seasonal curb extension murals at the corner of S Fitzhugh Street and W Broad Street in Rochester on Sunday. The installation is part of its new street safety initiative called Downtown SmART Streets. The program blends traffic-calming infrastructure with public art to make the streets of Rochester feel safer and more vibrant where pedestrian safety continues to be a concern. The first installation is located at the intersection of E Main Street and Gibbs Street in Rochester. The installation will take place throughout the day on Sunday starting at 11 a.m.
Reconnect Rochester’s Monroe County Crash Map shows an average of 13 people biking or walking are killed on local reads every year with 20 fatalities in 2023. The extensions slow down vehicle turns by narrowing the space and encouraging safer and slower driving and shorten crosswalk distances so that way pedestrians spend less time in the roadways in effort to reduce the risk of collisions. Street murals have been shown to be effective as traffic calming measures, drawing the driver’s attention to the road. Once installed, Reconnect Rochester will track vehicle speed and pedestrian activity data before and after implementation to measure the impact on safety and traffic behavior in Rochester.
Rochester artist Chloe Smith collaborated with artist Lauren Jimerson on the concept for the murals. This installation will pay homage to the indigenous peoples that inhabited the Rochester area are known as People of the Great Hill…