Sounds like KING-5 caught wind of Maple Leaf’s traffic circle vs. street mural debate:
Keep an eye on this post from our sister site My Wallingford to see what neighbors there have to say about the effect of their two street murals on both traffic and community spirit.
@Candace, thank you for your comments. Its nice to hear a perspective from someone that has been a part of a similar scenario.
Reading many of these posts is disheartening and is starting to disrupt our sense of community, not bring us together.
@Candace:
Thanks for your comments. It’s great to hear the perspective from someone who really knows about the situation and has experienced the effects of the mural first hand.
Maple Leaf Neighbors,
An acquaintance in the Maple Leaf neighborhood told me about your current discussion regarding intersection painting and asked that I write in with my perspective. I live on one of the corners adjacent to the ladybug in Wallingford and I HATE it. Here is why:
The painting does not slow traffic, nor did the City of Seattle ever intend it to. I spend most of every day in my home office by a window that looks out over the intersection and can tell you that cars speed through the intersection just as they always have.
Because it is an “attraction,” the ladybug has actually brought an increase in car and pedestrian traffic, as well as loitering, which has greatly affected my privacy and sense of safety in my home.
The ladybug has brought an increase in garbage, cigarette butts and vandalism to the intersection, including cars purposely trying to leave tracks on the painting.
There has been an increase in adults and children walking, biking, playing and driving in the middle of the intersection, which is obviously a safety concern.
The paint wears off and puts contaminants in the waterways from spillover and, even if paint and debris is caught and filtered, creates non-biodegradable waste that must be disposed of by burning or dumping in a landfill. (If you are interested in the specifics of the research I have done on the environmental impact of the paint, I would be happy to share.)
Many neighbors abhor the garish preschool design and feel that it decreases home value. Given that there is a percentage of people who would not buy a home here because of the painting, that is no doubt true.
As for “community building,” the ladybug has had just the opposite effect for those of us who do not support the painting (at least a third within a one-block radius of the intersection at last count). In fact, the issue has been so contentious that the City of Seattle now requires a 60% vote in support of painting AND approval from all adjacent properties for intersection painting. As one of your readers mentioned, the Wallingford blog from last summer illustrates some of the hostility and hard feelings that have been generated.
I wish your community luck with your process. From my perspective as someone who lives right on one of the paintings, a traffic circle is a much, much safer, more beautiful and more environmentally sound approach to take, even if it takes you a while to get one. No one will ever agree on aesthetics and what may seem fun to one person may make another miserable. Communities can come together over many things and you can even get a free permit from the City to close your intersection and have a party or do whatever you want as often as once a month.
Best wishes.
Maple Leafers, take a close look at the turtle picture. See the green spray paint on top of the turtle and worn off paint? See the word “fuck” over on the lefthand side? The turtle hasn’t even been there that long. Why invite that into the neighborhood?
@Mai Ling:
Thanks for the update. It’s probably better that the traffic circle has one key dedicated point of contact/volunteer to ensure it is maintained. Then is won’t become a “I thought he/she/they were responsible for it” type of situation. That person can coordinate with other volunteers that want to help.
Either way, both option are better than nothing from the standpoint of slowing down traffic a bit.
@Maple Leaf Bob Actually, the street murals need an annual coat of paint (http://www.mapleleaflife.com/2010/07/20/maple-leaf-artist-designed-next-painted-intersection/), so it’s not just a one-time event. Sorry I didn’t make that more clear in these recent posts. Also, SDOT requires that each traffic circle has a dedicated volunteer, but I’m sure that volunteer could convince the community to help them out and make its maintenance a group effort!
I really could care less about having the mural or not, but I can’t believe all this talk about how it’s going to bring the community together (much of it was expressed on the earlier article).
Many people can’t even keep their yards cleaned up and pretty much every traffic circle in Maple Leaf is neglected.
A traffic circle with plants requires much more on-going maintenance because it needs to be weeded, the plants need to be trimmed, and even annuals can be planted. That provides a lot more opportunity for bringing together neighbors and getting them involved. If people really support this for bringing neighbors together, then they should really support circles more.
The mural is a one and done event. We aren’t going to have the average neighbor going out and touching up the paint, so after its done it will not having any on-going neighbor involvement. Except for having those that live right around it watch it get vandalized and watch the paint chip away. I would rather have some plants that go through a cycle of blooming and represent the seasons. That is like a living art project that changes throughout the year, not just a one time coat of paint. I personally think kids would get more out of maintaining plants and seeing them change with seasons than staring at a fading mural.
I’m tired of every traffic circle in Maple Leaf having to have the maple leaf design. I’d rather have some other type of design than the ubiquitous maple leaves.
As a cat person I demand cats be included! No inclusion of cats is discrimination against the most vulnerable members of our community and only reinforces the dogist social order forced on society by corporations and the right wing patriarchy.
My demands must be heard, vetted, committeed, studied and accepted! It’s the Seattle Way.
NIMBY or not, if I think it’s aesthetically displeasing, I don’t want to have to look at it every time I leave my driveway.
I too enjoy art, community cohesion, and the creative spirit. But if it all came down to my vote, no way in hell would I allow this mural in front of my driveway.
How about a maple leaf design? After all, don’t we all live in a land called Maple Leaf?
Aesob, I don’t thing Maple Leaf is alone in being full of NIMBY complainers, it’s this whole damn city. While I wish the art was a bit cooler/more modern looking or Maple Leaf themed, I agree, it would be a positive thing for our neighborhood.
Great! Maple Leaf looks like a bunch of NIMBY complainers again. How could a piece of art possibly drop home values in the area? Come on, Maple Leafers, this would be a good thing.