GObike and Starlight Studios will be collaborating on a Complete Streets Installation at the corner of Prospect Avenue and Carolina Street on Wednesday, September 27. The goal of the project is to create a traffic calming scenario at a risky intersection that is located in Buffalo’s historic West Village (see action and results). Starlight Studios will be contributing a public art component within the bumpouts.
This corner has been the site of numerous crashes in recent years, as well as ongoing speeding incidents. Many cars don’t even stop at the intersection.
GObike has highlighted the opportunities presented at the corner:
- Roughly the same number of people on foot, wheelchair, or bike use this intersection as cars. West Village is home to multiple crashes from 2017-2021 (See attached images for that timeframe), and this is continuing the work that kicked off in 2021 to calm car and truck traffic in this neighborhood.
- Bumpouts, or the extension of the curb at an intersection, are proven to slow down vehicles and increase visibility of people crossing on foot or in a wheelchair. By narrowing the road, drivers automatically slow down, and pedestrians have less dangerous space to cross.
- Incorporating artwork from nearby Starlight Studios will not only enhance visibility and safety, but also add beauty to these intersections.
“Art has the power to transform spaces and bring people together,” said Fillmore District Council Member Mitch Nowakowski. “I am thankful to GObike, NYSCA, the Cullen Foundation, and Starlight Studios for their dedication to creating meaningful public art that will enrich our lives and our neighborhood.”
“Starlight Studio is so pleased to be part of the Healthy Streets Initiative to increase safety on our city streets and bring awareness to the cause,” said Carrie Marcotte, Program Director, Starlight Studios. “It is especially fitting that Shamika Long’s artwork was selected for the site. As a cyclist, walker and NFTA rider she knows a thing or two about the need for safe streets! Starlight Studio is an art program for adults with disabilities. Our artists are active community members who are on the go across the whole Niagara Region. Safe travels are of the utmost importance to all of us.”
GObike and Starlight Studios will be joined by Nowakowski and the New York State Council on the Arts on Wednesday, September 27 at 11am, at the corner of Prospect Avenue and Carolina Street, to take part in the commencement of the project.
This project is made possible with funds from the Expanding Access to Arts Funding in WNY, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Cullen Foundation.