Everyone needs a hug! Traffic-calming “hugs” are white semi-circles painted on the street, with the asphalt pavement painted tan with gravelized epoxy, and set off from the surroundings by a safety stone and planter.
When drivers see the painted lines and the hugs that narrow their driving space, they slow down. Street hugs allow walkers and others to safely access, exit, or cross the Open Street. Visually, they are a signal to drivers that the Open Street is different from conventional streets, as it is shared with pedestrians, people in wheelchairs, and those engaged in other activities such as dog walking, playing, and more. Hugs reinforce the 5 MPH signs on this shared street.
Hugs do not limit access for emergency vehicles such as fire trucks. They are carefully designed with the approval of the FDNY to safely accommodate even the largest next-generation fire equipment. Double parking, especially by large trucks or vans, is the real danger to emergency vehicle access to the street.
Park to Park 103 Youth Ambassadors are working to design artwork painted on the street to create a welcoming community space where people can meet and talk with friends or take a break. In the future, we hope to collaborate with community artists and young people to create new art installations as and when the opportunity arises.
The majority of crashes that result in injury or death happen when vehicles turn, especially at intersections. The solution is to create spaces around intersections so that drivers, pedestrians, and others can see each other. These changes also make the turn onto the street tighter, so vehicles have to slow down. No more “curb cutting” at speed — a leading cause of crashes that cause injury and death. More info
