Eyes on the Street: Crosswalk Art Adds More Color to East Colfax

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Photo: David Sachs

Crossing East Colfax Avenue just got a little more interesting.

Denver Public Works made part of the street car-free over the weekend so people could paint the crosswalks at Steele and Adams with birds, guitars, musical notes, and a stylized design of the word “Colfax.”

The project is a collaboration between the Bluebird Business Improvement District and Department of Arts and Venues, which manages the “P.S. You Are Here” grant program, “a citywide creative placemaking and neighborhood revitalization program that cultivates collaborative, community-driven, outdoor projects in Denver’s public spaces.”

Cities including Portland, New York, and even Boulder paint pavement to make streets feel more inviting to people on foot. Painting intersections is also a way to calm traffic. While it doesn’t alter the design of the street, it can get drivers to slow down by creating intrigue and “mental speed bumps.”

Here are some more images from the newly painted intersections:

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Photo: David Sachs
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Photo: David Sachs
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Photo: David Sachs
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Photo: David Sachs

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