School #17 families, residents of the JOSANA neighborhood, and a team of community partners* will join together on Saturday, May 14 to transform the intersection of Orange Street and Orchard Street as part of the Complete Streets Makeover project. Saturday will be a fun day for community involvement, complete with music and food, as volunteers work alongside street architects to paint the pavement and install temporary traffic calming features.
School 17 is located right at this intersection, and the school community has been actively involved in reimagining the space to be safer for the kids and families that walk to school. The ideas that will be implemented were developed with input gathered at a community workshop held at the school in February.
Design elements to calm traffic and improve safety will include: enhanced signage, curb extensions, temporary speed cushions, and a street mural designed by local artist Shawn Dunwoody. The temporary design was created by Stantec, which donates pro bono professional engineering services for the project. Other elements to beautify the space, like fence art and flower planters, will be done with help from 2nd graders as part of a class project.
A goal of the Complete Streets Makeover program is to bring attention to complete streets design as one critical factor in creating streets that are safe for everyone. Complete streets allow everyone—regardless of age, ability or mode of transportation—to safely share, access and move through our community streets.
Speed data will be collected as evidence of the project’s impact, and program partners will provide ongoing support to the neighborhood to advocate for making the improvements permanent.
The project Steering Committee selected this intersection from over 60 public nominations received. The Orange & Orchard location presented the right mix of community support, evidence of safety concerns, and potential for a street redesign that would create real, transformative change for the community through this project. Last fall, the Rochester City School District eliminated the Walker-Bus Program that had provided transportation for students living within 1.5 miles of School 17, contributing to the school’s desire to improve safety for walkers.
This project is supported by ESL Charitable Foundation, New York State Department of Health’s Creating Healthy Schools and Communities initiative, and New York State funding secured by Senator Samra Brouk.
More Info:
www.ReconnectRochester.org/complete-streets-makeover
www.ReconnectRochester.org/2021/11/complete-streets-makeover-announcement-2122
www.ReconnectRochester.org/CSM-nomination
*A collaborative venture, the Complete Streets Makeover project is supported by:
The Healthi Kids Coalition, convened by Common Ground Health
Community Design Center of Rochester
Genesee Transportation Council
Coordinated Care Services Inc.