An Update on the Streetcar Safety Mural Project

Each year the NXT City Prize takes place in Toronto. As one of the world's best, most livable cities, this competition offers Toronto's young innovators encouragement to think up creative solutions and improvements for the city's public spaces. It provides a platform for the next big idea to be realized. The call is broad, looking for innovations that will help the public move, interact, work, commute, relax, play, or gather. This year's winner presented 'Streetcar Safety Murals' that are now actually becoming a reality. Here's the scoop. 

 

The winning idea, presented by Lucas DeClavasio and Andrew Patterson of Wysp Creative, was dubbed 'Toronto Streetcar Safety Murals'. The idea came from the safety issue that cars and bikes present to pedestrians stepping off streetcars. The two realized the danger this put those in and wanted to think of a creative solution to keep the city's pedestrians safer. They proposed that the road space between the sidewalk and the streetcar, stretching the length of the streetcar, be painted with a bright mural. The mural would serve as a visual 'safety zone' where cars would see they shouldn't enter, thus providing streetcar riders a safe exit. 

 

Last week, Toronto's Chief Planner, Jennifer Keesmaat, had the pleasure of announcing that the city would be moving forward with the project. A strong supporter of the idea from Day 1, it comes as no surprise that Keesmaat will be helping to get the ball rolling. The project serves three major purposes that make it especially perfect for our city: 

1. Supporting Toronto's desire to better integrate transit into the city's fabric
2. Improving safety for all 
3. Beautifying the city with local and colourful art

 The idea and the fact that it won the competition speaks to what issues Torontonians want to see addressed, which is further validated by the city's response and willingness to listen to and engage with its members. This brilliantly simply, yet innovative idea is going to be integrated into the bigger King Street Pilot Project that looks to completely redesign how the street is used, prioritizing public transit over private vehicles in an attempt to limit traffic. 

 Images via NXT City Prize