Traffic Garden Designs Newsletter No. 2

It’s exactly one month since we launched this chapter and it was great to finally show the world what we had been working on for the previous few months. We also had our first outing to a conference which gave us a chance to hear how people responded in real life to facilitating this new approach to traffic gardens.

As we continue refining the concept, one idea is guiding everything we do: shifting from simply offering a service to actively removing the barriers communities face. The plan sets are designed to get rid of much of the friction so more projects can move forward.

By the way, if you are planning a traffic garden this year, StencilFast is currently offering 35% off their Recreation stencil collection through May 31, using code GetOutside! This includes all of their traffic garden stencil sets. These are professional-grade, sized to all our projects and will last forever. This is a great deal.

I haven’t gone anywhere and I’m still having lots of one-on-one conversations about local ideas and sites as we figure out how more kids can actively benefit.

Traffic Garden Field Guide:

This month: Why Paint Is Not Just Paint

Almost all of the traffic gardens I’ve worked on use surface-applied markings that recreate the look and language of real streets. While I use the word ‘paint’ a lot, that’s really just shorthand for professional-grade coating systems designed specifically for use outdoors on asphalt and concrete. These are not paints from the local hardware store but engineered products formulated to bond properly, flex with the surface, stay vibrant, and withstand weather over the life of the traffic garden.

There can be a temptation to use lower-cost materials but long-term value for the extensive work involved in conducting the precise installation work comes from using products designed for these surfaces. And having them applied by professionals.

Every surface-applied traffic garden will age, but the difference between one that continues to look vibrant and one where the lines fade quickly comes down to treating both the materials and the installation process as core parts of the project. The new plan sets include clearer material specifications, and I have been working closely with SealMaster to benefit from their technical expertise all over the country. I’ve learned also from people in the striping industry - that last photo shows Megan Bailiff of Equus Striping sharing her professional knowledge during one of my traffic garden tours in DC. One of the many rewarding parts of this work has been the knowledge-sharing between designers, installers, product specialists, educators, bike advocates, and communities as we collectively figure out how to transform all those used surfaces into a little bit of magic for kids.

First Experience as a Conference Vendor!

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Maryland Recreation and Parks Association

(MRPA) Conference in Maryland as a vendor under my new name. I ended up chatting with lots of parks and recreation professionals, most of whom were encountering the idea of traffic gardens for the first time and it was super practice for me in explaining the new model. It was also really valuable to have Tom Decker of SealMaster Del-Mar-VA alongside me to explain the technical aspects of this work.

The concept seemed to resonate as a practical way to transform underused courts and paved spaces and many of the people we met confirmed that there are lots of these underutilized sites sitting out there in parks and other community spots. The real-life conversations were encouraging and a strong sign that there’s interest in having this option available to transform existing space. Onwards!