What could a street art program look like in Lexington?

In Tuesday, August 12th's Environmental Quality and Public Works (EQPW) Committee meeting, Principal Planner Hannah Crepps will talk to Council about plans to create a new street art program in Lexington!

Many U.S. cities have been implementing Street Art as a traffic calming measure in recent years.

• Street art can look like anything from painted crosswalks, chalk designs on the inside of an intersection, or designs that narrow travel lanes by taking up area on the road past the sidewalk.
• Street art has been shown to reduce the number and severity of car crashes on streets with extensive art projects.

While there are some examples in Lexington, we do not have a formalized program that can allow LFUCG or residents to create street art throughout the city. Such a program will be drafted over the next several months, and could include:

• Funding Sources. Potential sources include the Public Art Commission, Council District Funds, or external grants.
• Decisionmaking. Who and what people are included in decisionmaking for this kind of art in their communities?
• Safety. Guidelines from Lexington's Traffic Engineering program to ensure street art meets local, state, and federal safety regulations.

At Streetfest in May 2025, chalk art was drawn on Shropshire Avenue that has served as a kind of street art pilot. Lexington's Division of Planning and 1st District Councilmember Tyler Morton's office will continue to implement street art projects along Shropshire Avenue to test ways to engage artists and residents in street art creation.