Druid Hill Park Canopy Crosswalk: Connecting Community & Green Space

Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk aerial view
Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk aerial view

On April 2-3, the neighborhoods northwest of Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland, got a vibrant new crosswalk, allowing residents a safer way to access one of the city’s largest parks. As the recipient of grant funding and product sponsorship, Graham Projects collaborated with the New Auchentoroly Terrace Association (ATA) and community residents to design the Druid Hill Park Canopy Crosswalk, an 800 square-foot crosswalk on Druid Hill Drive adjacent to North Fulton Avenue, and oversaw the installation of the crosswalk and sidewalk art. 

Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk install team birds eye view

In 2018, the City of Baltimore passed Complete Streets legislation, which “elevate[s] the priority of pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users in planning and roadway design to increase quality of life and mobility in Baltimore City.” The Complete Streets legislation reinforced the efforts of The Access Project: Druid Hill Park, a community-driven project that began in 2016 in support of creating safer access for all residents in surrounding neighborhoods. “Complete Streets are for everyone,” stated public artist, OSI-Baltimore Community Fellow, and ATA President Graham Coreil-Allen, “including the 50% of Druid Hill Park area residents who rely on walking, taking the bus, and riding bicycles and scooters to get to work, school, and family.”

Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk Urban Oasis youth painting
Photo by Hugh Clarke
Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk neighborhood youth painting
Photo by Hugh Clarke

In addition to the Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk installation, the sidewalks leading to the crosswalk were decorated with park-inspired artwork. Using stencils and StreetBond pavement coating products, Graham Projects added the leaf designs, selected by community members based on trees found within the park. During the Community Paint Day events on April 2 and 3, residents of all ages painted the 107 leaves lining the sidewalks in shades of blue, brown, yellow, salmon, and fuchsia, with guidance from the Graham Projects team. Additionally, ATA recruited youth from The Urban Oasis, a local nonprofit, to paint the sidewalk artwork in exchange for fair wages.  

Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk GMCC President Adeline Hutchinson and Graham Coreil-Allen
Photo by Hugh Clarke
Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk Mayor Scott and Ms. Sunni painting
Photo by Hugh Clarke

Local dignitaries and community leaders attended the April 2 events, including Mayor Brandon Scott, Maryland State Senator Antonio Hayes, Greater Mondawmin Coordinating Council President Adeline Hutchinson, and ATA Vice President Cheryl Bailey Solomon. “I’ve always lived within 2-3 miles of Druid Hill Park,” said Ms. Bailey Solomon. “We are seeing the park transition to become a playground for a diverse group, and this crosswalk will be in a significant spot. Anything we can do to make that area safer is important for our community.” Senator Hayes shared his memories of growing up nearby and how difficult it could be to get to Druid Hill Park. “The work that’s being done to create safe access to one of the largest urban parks in the nation is a big deal,” he said. 

Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk youth workers peeling tape
Photo by Melvin Jadulang
Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk group photo of community leaders and sponsor
Photo by Hugh Clarke

The Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk was funded through the generous support of the ​Greater Rosemont Mondawmin (GRM) Neighborhood Spruce-Up Grant, administered by Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore, Inc. and distributed via The Baltimore Regional Neighborhoods Initiative (BRNI), part of the State of Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development. A neighborhood grant from the Baltimore Community Foundation also contributed to the project. If you would like to collaborate with Graham Projects on creating safer streets and walkways in your neighborhood, connect with us here! Contact: info@grahamprojects.com.

Article written by Corinne Litchfield.

For more photos and information, visit the Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk project page: grahamprojects.com/projects/canopycrosswalk

Druid Hill Canopy Crosswalk birds eye view of Fulton Ave corner

Arches & Access Unites People & Park

Arches & Access
Arches & Access parade kick off

Showcasing the cherished connections between Druid Hill Park and surrounding neighborhoods, the Arches & Access project illuminated and activated the historic Druid Hill Park Gate at Madison Avenue, Druid Hill Park, and the Rawlings Conservatory with colorful lights, a community parade, and a public party. On the evening of November 3rd, 2019, over three hundred residents, artists, and performers transformed Madison Avenue at Druid Park Lake Drive into a spectacular, roving block party. Neighbors collectively created a place to march, dance, and perform in celebration of our West Baltimore communities united in green space and creating safe streets for people.

Arches & Access light art

Arches & Access was a Neighborhood Lights Project presented as part of the Brilliant Baltimore / Light City festival of light and literature. The event was led by Reservoir Hill artist Jessy DeSantis, Reservoir Hill advocate Courtney Bettle, and Auchentoroly Terrace public artist Graham Coreil-Allen with major support from the Reservoir Hill Improvement Council, a grant from Baltimore Heritage, and volunteers from Beth Am Synagogue’s IFO organization. The Reservoir Hill mothers Bettle and DeSantis took inspiration from DeSantis’ colorful painting of the Arches when they came up with the idea of creating a light art project in early 2019. Later the two reached out to Coreil-Allen of Graham Projects to help realize the light art. Collectively they expanded the vision to include solar powered lights leading into the park, activated by a joyful community parade showing what life could be like without highways hindering pedestrian access to Druid Hill Park.

Arches & Access sidewalk lights
Arches & Access Catrin & Catrina parade puppets
Arches & Access Twilighters Marching Band at Rawlings Conservatory
Arches & Access dance party

Graham Projects is honored to have been apart of creating Arches & Access and look forward to working again with our community partners on making this light art and parade an annual success.

Arches & Access organizers

Click for more pictures and to read the full story of the Arches & Access project at the TAP Druid Hill website.