Florida removed colorful sidewalks in the name of 'safety.' This city in Greece proves that painted roads can save lives

Florida removed colorful sidewalks in the name of 'safety.' This city in Greece proves that painted roads can save lives

When the Florida Department of Transportation ordered cities to remove pavement art in August — and targeted a rainbow sidewalk which honored victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting — they said the decision was rooted in “safety.” But studies have shown that colorful roadways actually enhance safety by drawing drivers’ eyes to the road and forcing them to slow down. And now, road art is saving lives in the heart of Athens, on the busiest street in Kaisariani, Greece. The intersection of Ethnikis Antistaseos and Filadelfias was home to a nursery, primary school, a retirement community — and near-constant car crashes. That’s when Asphalt Arts stepped in. The grant program, funded by the charitable organization Bloomberg Philanthropies, is dedicated to improving roadways around the globe by transforming dangerous sites into beautiful community art projects. Since 2020, Asphalt Arts has completed over 90 street transformations across 20 countries. With each project, they seek to imp…