JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s innovative traffic gardens are teaching vital road safety lessons to children on school campuses through a partnership with the Blue Zones Project.
These miniature streetscapes, featuring painted crosswalks and road markers at local schools, serve as outdoor classrooms where students learn essential traffic navigation skills.
Jacksonville’s focus on pedestrian safety comes with good reason.
“For over the past 20 years, Jacksonville has been cited as one of the deadliest cities for pedestrians,” Zarka notes. “The city of Jacksonville has taken the lead on this by embracing the Vision Zero project.”
Safety education
At John E. Ford Elementary School, one of three Jacksonville locations with colorful streetscapes, students practice real-world scenarios on scaled-down roads.
The initiative, led by Blue Zones Project Jacksonville, supports the city’s Vision Zero plan to reduce traffic deaths and injuries by 50% before 2035.
“We are able to find ways to engage the community, and who to engage best with, is the youth,” says Marlo Zarka of Blue Zones Project Jacksonville. “They’re the ones who can remind us of what’s important on the roadways. They’re also the ones that need to be the most careful on the roadways because they represent our vulnerable population.”
Regulatory challenges
A recent FDOT memorandum has raised concerns about “non-standard surface markings,” suggesting they might distract drivers.
The directive specifically discourages markings that convey social or political messages, warning that such installations could affect state transportation funding.
This guidance comes despite a Bloomberg study demonstrating a 50% reduction in crashes in areas utilizing asphalt art. In response, Blue Zones says conversations continue with state and local leaders on how the guidance affects them.
Blue Zones recently painted a colorful crosswalk near R.L. Brown Elementary with students to prevent crashes in school zones.
They note that the off-road installations at schools are also a great way to teach kids traffic safety.
Bringing safety to life
Local muralist David Nackashi, who contributed to the project, brings both a professional and a personal perspective to the initiative.
“Me having a 4-year-old, I just kind of understood it was very important,” Nackashi explains. “As a Springfield resident, we walk everywhere. So understanding the rules of the road and bringing pedestrian awareness is very important to me personally.”
The program’s effectiveness extends beyond the school grounds.
Children who learn from these traffic gardens often become safety advocates at home, raising awareness among their families and communities.
“Kids talk more when they have interactive experiences,” Zarka explains. “For the kids to be able to go home to their families, be in the backseats of cars, and say what they see on the roadways, it raises the awareness of those drivers as well.”
As city officials review the new federal guidance’s implications for future projects, Blue Zones continues its commitment to safety education through these innovative off-street installations, proving that sometimes the most effective lessons come through play.