They installed a rainbow-Pegasus mural on a city street. Reviews have been ... mixed

The city of Tacoma recently rolled out a project intended to improve safety and slow speeds via intersection murals. The colorful effort is getting mixed reviews.

On Aug. 15, the Facebook group Tacompton Files posted a photo of a circular mural. It features a carousel and rainbow-winged Pegasus — and fresh tire marks on top.

“Apparently the city paints murals in intersections for art, and to slow traffic,” the post reads. “Looks like it is working out so far.”

Some social-media users opined that it’s a waste of taxpayer dollars. Others worried that the mural — located near Stewart Middle School, 5010 Pacific Ave. — would present a danger to motorcyclists when it rains because of slick paint.

Supporters have praised the look of the asphalt art, as well as the city for pursuing beautification and traffic-calming efforts on a street where drivers frequently speed.

“Imagine a world where we stopped doing nice or beautiful things because we anticipated that people would destroy it ... I’m ok with beautification projects,” one commenter wrote in part.

The News Tribune contacted the city to find out more about the mural, including associated costs and safety impacts.

What’s up with the mural on South D Street?

Funding for the temporary-demonstration project came from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, city spokesperson Maria Lee said via email. It’s part of a broader grant given to the city’s Safe Routes to School program .

The city of Tacoma contracted with a local muralist for $20,000 to cover their supplies and time, including time spent working with Stewart students on designs, she said.

Asked for the city’s response to Facebook comments about purported consequences for motorcyclists, Lee pointed The News Tribune to a study on asphalt-art safety. The April 2022 analysis from Bloomberg Philanthropies indicates “significantly improved safety performance” across various metrics where such work appears.

Asphalt art is becoming more popular, researchers noted. Such installations are meant to encourage drivers to slow their roll and enhance awareness of cyclists and pedestrians.

The study suggests that the efforts appear to be working, highlighting a 50% drop in the crash rate pertaining to pedestrians and “other vulnerable road users.” The study defines “vulnerable road users” as pedestrians, bicyclists and scooter-users.

Where is the mural, exactly?

Tacoma’s mural project is intended to help teach students about transportation planning, traffic calming, public art and the 20 mph speed limit on residential streets, Lee said.

Three mural locations were chosen near Stewart Middle School: South D Street’s intersections with South 50th, South 51st and South 52nd streets, Lee said. She also explained how the city geared up for the work.

“Preparation for the mural was done in collaboration with Environmental Services who pressure washed and primed the locations according to measurements approved by the Public Works Transportation team,” Lee said.

Is the mural toxic?

Lee noted that the paint used in the mural is non-toxic and “safe for use without impacts to our waterways.” One of the project’s goals is to gauge the effectiveness of this traffic-calming effort by comparing speeds before and after installation.

“This project was in partnership with Stewart Middle School, one of the next schools prioritized for improvements within the Tacoma Safe Routes to School’s school prioritization analysis,” Lee added.

The artist’s mural installation began earlier this month, she said. The work is expected to wrap up before the start of the 2024-25 school year. For Tacoma Public Schools, that means the second week of September.

Such asphalt art typically lasts for two or so years, depending on wear and weather, Lee said.