Use the Crosswalk! Safety Sign

Groundswell and the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) designed the Traffic Safety Sign Residency Program to engage public school students in exploring traffic safety information through the creation of original street signs. Signs designed collaboratively by students at each of our partner schools are digitally rendered by Groundswell artists, fabricated by NYC DOT’s Sign Shop, and temporarily installed in local locations students identify as in need of traffic signage. Through this program, students learn how signs and symbols can work to communicate ideas and explore visual art techniques to develop graphic images. These signs then help increase safety awareness and prevent accidents in locations around each school community. Fourth graders from PS 39 identified jay-walking as a traffic safety challenge in their area and developed a sign to address this concern. Their design reminds their classmates to use the crosswalk and to make sure oncoming traffic can see them.