The Rayobello traffic calming pavement art features bright streaks of yellow, orange, purple, and teals that enhance pedestrian safety within the bump outs, crosswalks, and sidewalks located at the entrance to Lake Montebello at 33rd Street and Hillen Road. Local residents inspired the design by sharing their cherished experiences witnessing colorful sunrises and sunsets as seen from the lake.
The pavement art installation was part of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) funded “Lake 2 Lake” project awarded to Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT). The project aims to increase visibility and access to Druid Hill Park and Lake Montebello, both of which have seen huge increases in usage during the COVID 19 pandemic as people have sought outdoor spaces for safe walking, biking, and exercise. This project was one of ten selected nationwide by NACTO for their Bloomberg Philanthropies funded 2021 Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery Grant program. Graham Projects was an integral part of the BCDOT application alongside fellow community partners Bikemore and Black People Ride Bikes. The grant funded community engagement activities for traffic calming, mobile bike shop pop-ups, group bike rides, and the Rayobello pavement art installation at 33rd Street and Hillen Road.
Lake 2 Lake leveraged existing BCDOT plans for traffic calming at the main intersection gateway to Lake Montebello as well as maintenance and repairs to The Big Jump shared-use path leading to Druid Hill Park. Graham Projects provided project branding design, facilitated community engagement, and solicited community-based design inspiration through COVID-19-safe pop-up drawing events and via COLORoW, our custom online public art drawing tool. Based on the public conversations and drawings submitted by residents, Graham Projects developed design proposals that over 500 residents voted on in selecting the final work of traffic calming public art.
For the second phase of the Lake 2 Lake project Graham Projects will install mural artwork on concrete jersey barriers along The Big Jump Shared Use Path. The installation of new jersey barriers to the Big Jump along Druid Lake Park Drive will enhance safety for pedestrians, wheelchair riders, escooter users, and people who rely on bicycles to get to Druid Hill Park and live in greater West Baltimore. This project is planned for completion in Spring of 2022.
Production team: Graham Coreil-Allen, Melvin Jadulang, Zoe Roane-Hopkins, Q Batts, Mar Braxton, Hugh Clarke, Kylee McDaniel, Clarissa Chen, resident volunteers of Lake Montebello. Line striping and flex post installation by Corporate Maintenance Group, LLC.
More info on the Lake 2 Lake project: streetsofbaltimore.com/lake2lake
Project Case Study: Lake2Lake Rayobello
