Lancaster, PA
Making an intersection easier to navigate
The Project
Residents of the Cabbage Hill neighborhood identified a busy five-way intersection – often used as a cut-through by motorists – as confusing and uninviting to pedestrians and bikers. By introducing artful safety redesigns to the intersection – including shortening crosswalks by 55%, adding over 3,600 square feet of new pedestrian space, narrowing vehicular lanes, and adding a needed stop sign – the City created a public space that is easier to safely navigate, with car traffic reduced by 27% and bike ridership increased by 12%. Through an extensive community engagement process, the City of Lancaster amplified local voices and facilitated conversations that shaped the intersection redesign and artistic direction.
- The average speed at the intersection has dropped by 20%.
- The rate of drivers yielding to pedestrians with the right of way increased by 10%.
- Bike ridership has increased by 12%.
“Neighbors strongly advocated for changes in the intersection that would align with community needs and desires. The result was a space created by and for the community that added art, safer pedestrian crossing areas, stops signs to slow traffic and additional parking.”
Jake Thorsen, SoWe Neighborhood Director
Use the slider to see the transformation
Best Practice Highlight: Community Engagement Platform
To facilitate their Asphalt Art Initiative project, the City of Lancaster made use of their online community engagement platform, Engage Lancaster, with which residents were already familiar and comfortable using. Through the platform, they released multiple surveys and design drafts at each milestone along the design and installation process, allowing community members to actively inform the final product. The team also posted survey results and infographics, making the public feedback received readily accessible to all. Finally, 100 residents volunteered through the platform to help paint the intersection and celebrate the completion of the project they helped design and implement.
Press
Creating an Artful Intersection in Cabbage Hill (Lancaster County Magazine, September 2021)
Artists chosen for Bloomberg-funded Cabbage Hill public art project; neighbors’ input sought (Lancaster Online, June 14, 2021)
Lancaster city receives $25K Asphalt Art Grant, issues call for artists for public art project (Lancaster Online, March 9, 2021)
For inspiration and tips for the creation of art on roadways and public places, download the Bloomberg Associates Asphalt Art Guide which features successful plaza and roadway art activations around the world, as well as key steps for developing such projects.
