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Commission hears study claiming safety gains from painted intersections; refers idea to public safety and public works
Summary
A staff presentation showed national examples of painted intersections and cited safety statistics; commissioners agreed to advance the street‑painting/public‑art proposal to the public‑safety committee for further review and cross‑committee coordination with public works and public art. PennDOT restrictions on state roads were flagged.
A staff presentation on July 13 showed national examples and claimed safety benefits for painted intersections and street murals, and the West Chester Planning Commission agreed to refer the idea to the borough public‑safety committee and coordinate with public works and public art staff for next steps.
Presenter (S6) summarized studies that compare painted intersections, crosswalk artwork and bump‑out painting and cited claimed results including a “50% decrease in crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists” and increased driver compliance when paint or artwork is used in intersection areas. The presenter also outlined rough equipment and stencil costs and suggested water‑based paints for borough streets, noting that PennDOT prohibits such paint treatments on state‑owned roads.
Why it matters: The study claims that street artwork can change driver behavior and increase pedestrian comfort; commissioners emphasized that implementation will hinge on jurisdiction (borough streets vs. PennDOT) and on maintenance and paint selection.
Commissioners discussed which committee should take the lead and recommended a cross‑committee approach. The group agreed public safety should consider the proposal first while public works would handle installation and maintenance; public‑art and smart‑growth representatives were invited to participate. Chair (S3) and staff (S2) noted that a formal referral and a short implementation plan — including target intersections, maintenance cost estimates and an inventory of which streets are borough‑owned versus state‑owned — would be needed before any pilot.
Next step: The commission asked staff to bring a short action plan and to place the proposal on the public‑safety committee agenda for a more detailed operational review.
