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February 2025 update: Thank you to residents for sharing pavement art design inspiration last fall, voting on your favorite design options earlier this year, and providing additional feedback on the artwork! Based on the online and in-person voting, the preferred crosswalk art designs are Dogwood Delight at North Avenue and McCulloh Street and Read Between the Ropes at North Avenue and Druid Hill Avenue. Based on thoughtful suggestions from the community, artist JaVon Townsend has developed two alternate color schemes for YOU to vote on. Check out the new options and make your selections below!
Background
This transit safety and pedestrian improvement pilot project focuses on two intersections along W North Avenue at Druid Hill Ave and McCulloh Street. Proposed features include bus stop platforms bookended by bin blocks, bump-outs with pavement art, flex posts, concrete planters, and additional placemaking elements to be determined through community engagement. All features are temporary measures to help us gauge what is most effective in improving the safety and functionality of these intersections for the community and catalyze more permanent long-term improvements based on project results.
Accessibility is paramount to the engagement process and usability of the final installation. The project team is collaborating with local leaders from the National Federation of the Blind, Maryland Transit Administration, Baltimore City DOT, and Maryland Department of Disabilities to gather input on the functionality of the design for folks with disabilities. A 3D printed model with tactile components enables us to engage more community members in pop-up engagement and dedicated meetings with folks with vision impairments.
Engagement timeline and local support
- July-September: Meetings with Baltimore City Department of Transportation, Maryland Transit Administration, and Maryland Department of Disabilities.
- October: Local stakeholder site walk, Concept presentation at WNADA’s Comprehensive Planning Meeting
- November: An Outdoor Pop-Up Community Engagement Event was held with local businesses, residents, and transit riders. Based on this input, artists JaVon Townsend and Zoe Roane-Hopkins developed three pavement art design options for each intersection.
- December: Community canvassing and support from 90% of residents and business owners. Preliminary traffic calming plans were submitted to the DOT for review.
- December 2024 – January 2025: Three design options for each intersection will be shared online and at a community meeting, where residents will select their preferred designs and provide additional feedback.
- February 2025 (current survey): Alternate color schemes developed based on community feedback. This voting form provides the community another round of voting between the original preferred designs and alternative color schemes for Dogwood Delight and Read Between the Ropes.
The West North Avenue Development Authority (WNADA), the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and the Baltimore Community Foundation funded the project: Graham Projects and OpenWorks lead design, engagement, and fabrication.
North Ave & Druid Hill Ave Pavement Art Design: Read Between the Ropes
Read Between the Ropes takes inspiration from the patterns made by the ropes of a boxing ring. It turns geometric linework into a pattern evocative of West African textiles with a Pan-African color palette. The red triangular shapes also evoke book pages, representing Umar Boxing’s “No Hooks Before Books” motto and celebrating their commitment to education.
