Bloomberg Philanthropies is funding projects that take an artistic approach to traffic safety.
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced Asphalt Art Initiative grants for 26 U.S. cities. Each city will be provided up to $25,000 to install projects that use art and design to improve street safety, revitalize public spaces, and engage residents of their communities, according to a Bloomberg Philanthropies press release.
Bloomberg Philanthropies also awarded Asphalt Art Initiative grants to projects in 16 U.S. cities in 2020. According to the press release, the results of the initiative are still being evaluated, but some positive sings are already emerging, like in Kansas Cuity, where "the redesign of a problematic intersection reduced overall vehicle speeds by 45 percent, cut pedestrian crossing distances in half, and increased the percentage of pedestrians who feel safe crossing the intersection from 23 to 63 percent."
In 2021, the selected Asphalt Art Initiative projects and cities include:
- Pedestrian and cyclist safety enhancements in 10 cities: Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Houston, TX; Kansas City, MO; Long Beach, CA; Memphis, TN; San Juan, PR; St Louis, MO; Tucson, AZ; and Wilmington, DE
- Pedestrian plazas and public space improvements in 7 cities: Birmingham, AL; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Fairbanks, AK; Newark, NJ; Providence, RI; and Syracuse, NY
- Intersection and crosswalk murals in 9 cities: Billings, MT; Chicago, IL; East Providence, RI; Huntington, WV; Kodiak, AK; New Brunswick, NJ; Niagara Falls, NY; Starkville, MS; Tallahassee, FL
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