Kim Main Heard, a safety adviser at Yale University, sent in these photos and this write-up about a recent beautifying and street safety awareness project near Yale-New Haven Hospital.
If the next time you are near Yale-New Haven Hospital you notice it looks more colorful, here’s why!
On Saturday morning, May 15th, Yale-New Haven Hospital, the city of New Haven, the Yale Medical Campus Traffic Safety Group, and Yale alumni participating in the annual Yale Day of Service joined forces to both beautify the neighborhood and educate people about traffic safety. While many people sit in Hunter Plaza, the public space near the food carts at the intersection of York and Cedar Streets, it always has been a bit drab with brown benches and trash receptacles — and grey cement columns that prevent vehicles from driving into the area. On Saturday, the volunteers painted the trash receptacles green, and YNHH soon will be painting the benches as well. And in about a week, planters matching the ones interspersed throughout Downtown will add even more color to the area.
The more unique change is on the sidewalks surrounding Hunter Plaza and running down York Street to South Frontage Road. Using stencils, the group painted blue Elm City elm leaf designs and the city’s orange Street Smarts logo at various spots along the sidewalks. The Street Smarts logos are strategically placed in the curb cuts leading into the intersections, reminding people to be careful before crossing the street.
Painting the logos was great fun — but caused some head turning because of the process involved. First the sidewalk had to be carefully cleaned. Then newspaper had to be taped down around the stencils to prevent “overspray” from getting around the edges of the design. And several very light coats of spray paint had to be used to prevent the paint from “bleeding” outside the stencil design lines. The 16 stencils that were painted are definitely a noticeable change!
Kids were encouraged to come to the event because it also involved a bike safety fair. Members of the Yale Medical Campus Traffic Safety Group fitted and handed out about 25 bike helmets to children, along with materials about traffic safety, including some the city’s Street Smarts materials.
Everyone was excited about how the city, hospital, and community members — including some of the food cart vendors in the area who donated money for painting supplies — worked together to promote safety and make the neighborhood look nicer. And the group is already scheming about where else in the city they can paint the elm leaf and Street Smarts designs!