A guerrilla crosswalk is a

pedestrian crossing A pedestrian crossing (or crosswalk in American and Canadian English) is a place designated for pedestrians to cross a road, street or Avenue (landscape), avenue. The term "pedestrian crossing" is also used in the Vienna Convention on Road Sign ...

that has been modified or created without jurisdictional approval, and with the intent of improving pedestrian and other non-automobile safety. These interventions are a common strategy within

tactical urbanism Tactical urbanism, also commonly referred to as guerrilla urbanism, pop-up urbanism, city repair, D.I.Y. urbanism, planning-by-doing, urban acupuncture, and urban prototyping, is a low-cost, temporary change to the built environment, usually in ci ...

, a type of low-cost, often temporary change to the built environment intended to improve local livability. Guerilla crosswalks have been noted in news articles since at least 2009 and have become more well known as an urban strategy in recent years. The first known example of guerilla crosswalks can be found in Canada in 1987 when social activists John Valeriote and Erik Veldman created a crosswalk in Guelph, Ontario for students to safely cross a busy road in front of their school.

Background

Walkability In urban planning, walkability is the accessibility of amenities within a reasonable walking distance. It is based on the idea that urban spaces should be more than just transport corridors designed for maximum vehicle throughput. Instead, it s ...

and

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

indicators are common topics in urban planners' and urban advocates' vocabulary in recent years. With the increasing body of research focused on measuring, and in some cases, marketing the walkability and quality of life in cities, citizens and decision-makers alike are focused on improving intersections, sidewalks, and streetscapes. Tactical urbanism is focused generally on small-scale, quick, and low-cost changes to a place. While some might consider it illegal, it is utilized by both activists and city planners alike when pilot programs and improvements are required immediately and when budget is a significant constraint. Many guerrilla tactics react to the delays and inefficiencies in attempting to follow proper or legal channels. While guerilla crosswalks are usually quickly removed, the speed of the removal is often used to point out that cities do have the money to install and remove crosswalks. This tactic is often a response to unsafe conditions at the interface of pedestrian and automobile circulation and is not without its opponents. One Public Works official commented in this way, "These changes to City streets are illegal, potentially unsafe and adding to the City's costs of maintenance and repair…. There is potential liability and risk management claims to both the City and the individuals involved." Crosswalks are a signal to drivers that pedestrians may be present. They are intended to group pedestrians for crossing at a safe time. The introduction of new crosswalks can be confusing to drivers and potentially give pedestrians a false sense of security.

Case studies and examples

Los Angeles

Crosswalk Collective LA, a group active throughout

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, has painted dozens of crosswalks since early 2022. In a statement to

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

, the group stated that "We ��have tried for years to request crosswalks and other safe streets infrastructure the official way. At every turn, we've been met with delays, excuses, and inaction from our city government, as well as active hostility to safe streets projects from sitting councilmembers." The group does not publish a full list of painted crosswalks on its website to prevent them from being removed, and in effort to protect pedestrians. Out of those painted, some crosswalks have been removed, others have been upgraded into formal crosswalks by the City, and others remain in place. The group's actions have been met with praise on social media by both local residents and those living elsewhere in the United States. The group has published a how-to guide and stencils on their website to facilitate similar efforts elsewhere in the country.

Seattle

Guerilla crosswalks appeared in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

in 2021 and 2022. The

Seattle Department of Transportation The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is a municipal government agency in Seattle, Washington that is responsible for the maintenance of the city's transportation systems, including roads, bridges, and public transportation. The agenc ...

responded by removing the crosswalks. City councilmember Andrew Lewis tweeted in response, "This is infuriating. We have the time and money, apparently, to expediently REMOVE a crosswalk, but it takes years to get around to actually painting one. No wonder neighbors took it upon themselves to act."

Baltimore

In the

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

neighborhood of Hampden, a 2011 repaving project endured longer than planned. After paving was complete, new crosswalks should have been painted, but the task was left undone with the contractor's justification that the cold weather prevented any street striping. This busy intersection was determined unsafe by many of the locals. Eventually one resident took it upon himself to paint the crosswalk lines late at the night. The man was thanked by the local city council.

Background

Case studies and examples

Los Angeles

Seattle

Baltimore

References

Further reading