Here’s How Two Innovative Women From India Could Solve 4th Avenue Traffic Woes

If you fancy a gentle cruise down a Park Slope thoroughfare, 4th Avenue is simply not your best bet. Construction has made a mess of 4th Avenue — a.k.a. the “canyon of mediocrity” — as a hodge-podge of architecture offering such amenities as a pet spa makes mincemeat of the four lanes of traffic. Construction vehicles have become de rigueur day and night, and there are no plans for a moratorium on construction anytime soon.

So what’s a dangerous and traffic-clogged thoroughfare to do? The cars aren’t leaving, the cyclists need to travel, and the pedestrians still need to cross the street safely.

Look no further than two women from the city of Ahmedabad, located in Gujarat, a state in Western India.

Artists Saumya Pandya Thakkar and Shakuntala Pandy have created a Trompe-l’œil that has already solved many traffic problems throughout Ahmedabad and many sections of Gujarat.

Thakkar and Pandy have designed a three-dimensional zebra crossing that gives the illusion of a “blockade.” Their intention is to slow down traffic. The India Times writes “The novel idea will be used near schools and accident prone areas in Ahmedabad to reduce road related accidents and allow pedestrians to safely cross the road.”

The population of the city of Ahmedabad is approximately 6.3 million, which puts it in a similar category to New York City.

While pedestrians and drivers express frustration with the issues caused by construction, Thakkar’s and Pandy’s design focuses on problem-solving challenging given circumstances. The design is simple and the application (paint) is inexpensive.

4th Avenue is not only utilized by locals — it serves as a major thoroughfare from Southern Brooklyn to Atlantic Avenue. Drivers are often unfamiliar with the construction in our area. And providing safer intersections will be of immense benefit for students attending PS 124 and 133.

Of course, speeding and reckless driving plague other streets in our area. Just a month ago, a pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run incident on 5th Avenue.

Is Thakkar’s and Pandy’s design the ideal scenario to ease traffic issues? That needs testing and experimention to determine. However their 3D zebra crossing is an unconventional solution which serves as reminder of the importance of re-thinking and re-envisioning standard practices as we address change in our neighborhood and streets throughout New York City.