Family (Biking) Matters is a monthly column that addresses questions and issues you may have as a person or family biking in the city. Don’t forget–– families come in all different shapes and sizes! If you have a question, write to hillfamilybiking@gmail.com.–– María Helena Carey
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Dear Family (Biking) Matters,
Ever since crosswalk art was installed at Maury Elementary this past summer (thank you Hill Family Biking & Maury PTA!), I’ve noticed there is more and more art on the street across the District. What has caused this perceived explosion in street art in DC? What are the benefits of street art? Wannabe Street Art Aficionado
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Dear Wannabe,
To answer your questions, we brought in an expert: Chelsea Ritter-Soronen is the CEO and Principal Artist of Chalk Riot, a DC-based mural company specializing in pavement art. She is also a consultant for DDOT’s Arts in the Right of Way program, in addition to a handful of other cities in our region. Chelsea is currently pursuing a Master’s in Sustainable Transportation at the University of Washington to continue exploring how public art can strengthen urban mobility.
I’m so glad you’ve noticed the artwork! Colorful ground murals are indeed being installed in curb extensions, crosswalks, and pedestrian plazas all over the District. In fact, there are approximately 75 curb extension murals, six closed roadway murals, and a dozen painted micromobility corrals and streateries across all 8 wards, with more on the way in 2025. The majority of these are funded by the Color the Curb program, which is an annual artist grant opportunity co-sponsored by the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities and DDOT. Others have been funded by BIDs, local businesses, and passionate community groups such as Hill Family Biking. DC’s public mural landscape carries an innate commitment to rich and authentic visual storytelling, and many of these pavement murals are informed by hyperlocal histories, native wildlife, and iconic hometown heroes.
Effective sustainable and safe transportation needs engaging artwork and vivid design. In addition to offering inspiration and entertainment on your commute, these ground murals are also protecting people! In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies publicized the results of a two-year study that observed driver behavior and collision data in seventeen diverse curb extension mural sites. When compared to the data prior to the mural installations, the murals led to a 50% decrease in crashes with pedestrians, a 37% decrease in crashes that led to injuries, and even a 27% increase in drivers yielding to the pedestrian right of way. While murals are not a standalone cure to irresponsible driving, they certainly help. As a result of this data and a recent update to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), cities across the world are allocating significant resources to strategic art! Curb extension murals are a brilliant way to engage and compensate local artists, foster interdisciplinary and cross-departmental relationships, and spark fresh interest in our surroundings.
At Chalk Riot, our all-women crew is in our twelfth year of business, and we’ve created works across the United States and in five other countries. The number one question we receive from passersby is, “But what happens when the art gets dirty?” In regards to traffic-related ground murals, my response is this: We are in a pedestrian safety crisis in this country, and at dangerous intersections, we often cannot wait for a city to fund, design, test and build physical infrastructure like concrete bump-outs. To slow speeds and prevent injuries and deaths, quickly painted murals help–– even if they get a little dirty. And in the process, hopefully artists communicated positively with their neighbors, were paid well, and absorbed some important lessons about urban planning. I hope that we can begin folding in mural maintenance budgets more regularly in all ground mural programs. Ultimately, these are quick-build solutions to long-term problems to help buy time, increase morale, and save lives, and DC is at the forefront of this mural art movement sweeping cities around the world.
When artists are engaged in city planning processes, we all benefit. Too many roads in this country are scars on our earth, paved over native footpaths and built with the goal of segregation and division; I like to think that applying intentional art on top of our roads can help heal these wounds instead of rubbing salt in them with our cars. Creatives can be excellent bridge-builders between residents and the planners, architects, elected officials and City employees making major decisions about urban design. As the new administration transitions into DC, it’s more important than ever to radically reimagine our cities from the ground up — and that’s exactly what pavement murals can help us do.This year we’re incredibly grateful to be working on our second street mural project with Hill Family Biking, in collaboration with Payne Elementary. If you want to learn more, ask about it at the next Hill Family Biking ride.
Here are the upcoming bike rides for January and February:
- Join Hill Family Biking on 1/25/25 at 10:30am at Maury Elementary Parking Lot for a 3.5-mile bike ride down to Canal Park for ice skating at special group rate ($13 skate + rental). We’ll be joining the noon skate session and enjoy hot cocoa and cookies provided by La Dînette DC while we lace up.
- Join Hill Family Biking on 2/7/25 at 6:30 pm at Maury Elementary Parking Lot for a bike ride down to Canal Park for free ice skating and pizza. This 4-mile ride is for adventurous t(w)eens, 6th grade and up, who agree to follow organizer instructions. Lights, water bottles, and helmets required. HFB will supply reflective vests and adult guides (parents of Eliot-Hine 8th graders). This is a no-drop ride, meaning no one gets left behind. Have questions? hillfamilybiking@gmail.com