The Bloomfield Development Corporation (BDC) issued an RFQ in May 2022 to identify artists interested in working collaboratively with the community on an asphalt art project. The areas at which the final artwork will be installed along Friendship Park are currently unprotected, and illegal parking is common. The artwork is intended to improve the visibility of pedestrians, slow car traffic, and beautify the neighborhood. The artwork will be accompanied by the installation of bollards to prevent future illegal parking, protect the artwork, further improve visibility for pedestrians and drivers, and shorten crosswalk lengths. The final artwork will occupy two spaces of approximately 200 square feet each.

The BDC established the following Project Goals:

1. 1. Public Engagement: Engage members of the community in creating public art that represents a community vision.

   2. Support Open Spaces: Locating the installation next to one of Bloomfield’s few open spaces will help to activate and engage those who going to or through Friendship Park.

   3. Promote Multimodal Mobility: Emphasizing the importance of and protecting pedestrian crosswalks in order to promote the walkable and bikeable nature of Bloomfield.

The Project is funded by an AARP Community Challenge Grant. This grant program is intended to make tangible improvements to communities that jump-start long-term change. It is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages. To learn more, visit aarp.org/Livable.

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(Excerpt from Bloomberg Philanthropies. See complete article here.)

Can art make streets safer? As part of Bloomberg Philanthropies' Asphalt Art Initiative, a new study found that city streets became considerably safer for pedestrians after incorporating art into roadway redesigns.

Produced by Sam Schwartz Consulting in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the study examined the impact of art in the streetscape by comparing historical crash rates and real-time behavior of motorists and pedestrians at an array of asphalt art sites before and after the projects were installed.

The first part of the study analyzed crash history at 17 asphalt art sites across the country that have been in place for at least two years and found a dramatic reduction in motor vehicle crash rates after the projects were installed, including a 50% drop in crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists and a 37% drop in crashes leading to injuries. The second part of the study looked at real-time driver and pedestrian behavior using video footage of 5 recent installations that were part of Bloomberg's Asphalt Art Initiative and found a 27% increase in the rate of drivers yielding to pedestrians with the right-of-way as well as a 25% drop in potentially dangerous conflicts between drivers and pedestrians.