Glow-In-The-Dark Sidewalk Art Sheds Light On Pedestrian Safety
DENVER (CBS4)- Pedestrians around Denver are being greeted with an important safety message at their feet as they get ready to cross busy intersections.
As part of their pedestrian safety campaign, the Colorado Department of Transportation has installed glow-in-the-dark sidewalk chalk art in high-foot traffic areas throughout the city, to shine light on the importance of putting your phone away before entering a crosswalk.
The message is simple, "Stow your phone before crossing" and weather permitting should be visible through early May.
The chalk art images can be found in 100 locations within Denver's city limits, including the 16th Street Mall, Cherry Creek, Civic Center Park, Colorado Convention Center, Coor's Field, the Highlands, Larimer Square, LoDo, the Pepsi Center, Union Station and more.
"With temperatures heating up and the Rockies season now in full swing, we expect heavier foot traffic in these already bustling parts of town," said Sam Cole, safety communications manager at CDOT.
This latest initiative is part of CDOT's 2018 safety campaign, which also targets drivers to use caution around pedestrians.
Pedestrian fatalities are a growing concern in Colorado. In 2017, there were 93 pedestrian fatalities statewide, up 11 percent from 2016 and 45 percent from 2015. What's more, pedestrians represented 14.4 percent of all traffic fatalities in Colorado last year.
CDOT's pedestrian safety campaign aims to promote the importance of using crosswalks and encourage drivers to always yield to pedestrians.
Dominic Garcia anchors CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and reports for CBS4 News at 10 p.m. Connect with the Denver native on Twitter @cbs4dom & on Facebook.