New artist-designed crosswalks in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood are meant to make the stretch more pedestrian-friendly. But could double takes of their awesomeness distract both those in front and behind the wheel?
It's possible. Consider the first of 15 such crosswalks that was revealed Monday at 25th Street and Northwest Second Avenue in an official dedication to Wynwood developer Tony Goldman.
The hypnotic, brightly-hued crisscrossing design is the donated vision of Venezuelan kinetic artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, who once described color as "an evolving situation, a reality which acts on the human being with the same intensity as cold, heat, and sound.” (Story continues below.)
Wynwood Crosswalk By Carlos Cruz-Diez
If his name sounds familiar, it's because Cruz-Diez brought his amazing sense of color to the new Marlins Park in "Double-frequency Chromatic Induction," a neon-tastic walkway in the ballpark's main entrance.
Cruz-Diez's donated design and 14 other artist's crosswalks are part of Wynwood Ways, a collaboration organized by the Wynwood Arts District Association with local arts organizations such as Miami Biennale to make the neighborhood a more pedestrian-friendly cultural destination.
The streets have been a hot topic ever since the monthly Second Saturday Art Walks have swelled in size, with thousands flocking to Wynwood on foot and in cars.
Some want the stretch on Northwest Second Avenue to become a pedestrian-only street during Art Walk, both maximizing space for impromptu cultural happenings and minimizing the risk for pedestrians in a city rife with hit-and-runs.
And while these crosswalks are huge boost to the cityscape (and they certainly trump the Romero Britto-designed parking meters), do they really add any safety?
The next Wynwood Ways crosswalk will be at 28th Street and North Miami Avenue, according to the Miami New Times.
Click here to watch as no cars stop to allow pedestrians to use the newly-installed crosswalks on Biscayne Boulevard and 48th Street. Should they have been painted neon instead?