Although the Courant erroneously referred to Babcock Street and Capitol Avenue, and Flower Street and Capitol Avenue, as “two major intersections,” this does not detract from Deka Henry’s vibrantly painted curb extensions in these locations. (For the record, my own definition of a “major intersection” is one that I would not cross without use of the pedestrian cycle 75% of more of the time)
Curb extensions, when done right, narrow the roadway. They ideally slow motor vehicle traffic in general and while turning. They provide pedestrians with less roadway to cross. The extensions would aid in improving visibility of pedestrians to motorists, as vehicles would be unable to park too close to the intersection.
As eye-catching as these additions are, paint on its own does not offer much protection. Without an actual physical barrier, people continue to drive vehicles over the paint and park atop it.
When a smaller, similar project was attempted at Main Street and Charter Oak Avenue, flex posts were installed to reinforce the purpose of the painted curb extensions. It was effective, forcing drivers to more carefully negotiate the turn from Main Street to Charter Oak Avenue, or risk scratching their vehicles. Sadly, those who would not slow down for humans will do so if they think their paint job is in jeopardy.
As those pieces of physical infrastructure were run over, the City of Hartford de-installed the posts, rather than replace them with a similar or more resilient product.
Do these two intersections in Frog Hollow need flex posts? Probably not any more than they needed the paint in the first place. It’s a nice decoration, though, and it brightens up the block.
If iQuilt is looking to throw more money at projects, though, it would be worth every penny to work on an actual major intersection: Capitol Avenue and Broad Street. Besides extending the bicycle lane through the intersection, every corner should have a painted curb extension reinforced with heavy duty posts.
Obviously, for visual continuity, get the same artist on board:
Linda Pagani
I didn’t even realize these were supposed to be safety measures. When I drove there this week, at first I didn’t notice the gorgeous paintings, because there is so much traffic and automotive craziness that drivers have to pay attention to so we don’t kill ourselves or anyone else. Capitol Avenue, throughout its length, is a three-ring traffic circus, at best.