24/03/2026
Neighbors in Los Angeles are taking the vision of having no road deaths into their own hands – one bucket of paint at a time.
Maylin Tu reports in how locals are banding together to paint crosswalks, as local authorities struggle with budget constraints and the need for expensive upgrades to comply with design standards.
Bringing an intersection up to current standards can be costly — a single curb ramp costs the City of Los Angeles $50,000 to $100,000. However, to advocates impatient for change, citing accessibility requirements is just one more excuse to delay simple improvements that could prevent people from dying while crossing the street.
Atlanta is pioneering a new approach where local authorities partner with community members and 'actionivists' on a tactical urbanism program for temporary, quick-build projects to make it safer for walking, biking and rolling. Under the program, community members can make street improvements in their own neighborhoods. Residents recently built a bike lane for $10,000 on a school route.
Read more about what's happening in LA and Atlanta in Next City's article - https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/could-cities-partner-with-guerilla-urbanists-for-safer-streets
These examples highlight some interesting and challenging ethical and practical questions. For example, what's THE most important thing to prioritise?
☠️ Preventing road deaths and accidents by slowing vehicle speeds?
👩🦼➡️ Safe and inclusive access for people of all abilities?
📝 Upgrading every intersection to meet standards?
🪙 Keeping governments solvent and minimizing tax increases for businesses and residents?
🤝 Engaging and empowering local people to help to improve their place?
All of the above is the right answer and ideal, but not always possible.
What do you think? Could cities partner with local people and guerilla urbanists for safer streets?
