Portfolio – Street Smarts Design + Build

12th and Benton Asphalt Art Project

streetadmin — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 23:20:51 +0000

Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, for the second round of their Asphalt Art Initiative, this project calms and beautifies the intersection of two high speed, busy arterials. In order to slow speeding and create safer conditions for all users, we extended the curbs along the corners, to provide canvasses for artwork and create shorter crossing distance for pedestrians.

We also provided median pedestrian islands, which further shortened crossing distances and allowed for neighborhood identity. Working with six different local artists allowed us to bring unique local art to the intersection while also improving safety for all users.

Art Initiative Making Cities Across America Safer
In Kansas City, Missouri, artists are transforming an infamous intersection into the picture of safety.
The project is the latest among dozens of street murals across more than 40 cities that are part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative.
NBC News’ Steve Patterson shares more details about how the initiative is making cities safer.

Micromobility Hubs

DuRon Netsell — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 20:33:10 +0000

With the deployment of shared e-scooters and e-bikes throughout Kansas City, MO, KCMO hired us to build out a network of micromobility hubs to provide an organized dedicated on-street space to park bicycles and scooters.

By locating these hubs between crosswalks and on-street parking, we have been able to add these hubs to the street without replacing any parking spaces.  So far the network consists of 8 hubs but is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years.

Creative Crosswalks

DuRon Netsell — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 19:55:42 +0000

After decades of the same traditional style of crosswalks cities and communities are beginning to explore and experiment with new styles of crosswalks. Whether its just for fun or to increase safety, we provide design, consulting, and installation services for creative applications of crosswalks.

Bicycle Parking Installations

DuRon Netsell — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 19:29:25 +0000

Whether it’s a neighborhood wide install or just a rack or two for a small business, we are able to provide consulting, design and installation services for bicycle parking. We have extensive knowledge with this type of infrastructure and can offer complete services to meet any bicycle parking needs.

Martin City Business District

Working with the Martin City Community improvement District, we helped engage stakeholders to determine the best locations for the 38 parking spaces.

Downtown Lee’s Summit

Working with Downtown Lee’s Summit Main St. Inc, we installed 30 parking spaces to meet the growing demand for bicycle parking in downtown Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Downtown Overland Park

Working with Overland Park Public Works, Downtown Overland Park Partnership, and BikeWalkKC, we installed 74 parking spaces to help meet the needs for micromobility parking in downtown Overland Park. These creative custom bike racks also serve as a visual art piece for the district.

Planning Studies

DuRon Netsell — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 18:46:56 +0000

While much of the work we do focuses on quick interventions, oftentimes unsafe streets require a thorough study and in depth analysis. We provide these studies for a wide variety of clients and customize this process in order to meet the specific needs of the client. With these studies we can observe and express existing conditions, obtain pre install metrics, make recommendations for improvements, identify funding sources, and ultimately obtain permitting and build out projects.

Ronald McDonald Charities Campus Improvements

DuRon Netsell — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 18:39:32 +0000

To accompany their newly built serenity garden, Ronald McDonald Charities wanted to improve the safety of their street and provide better access for children and families to reach the garden. By narrowing the street and installing enhanced crosswalks, we were able to meet the goals of improving safety and adding a fun touch to the street for all to enjoy. In addition to these improvements, we also added a micromobility hub to provide on street parking for 8 bicycles and 25 scooters.

Midtown Asphalt Art Project

DuRon Netsell — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 13:44:39 +0000

Powered by a $25,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, we partnered with KCMO Public Works and Midtown KC Now to transform this intersection into a safer and more vibrant area.

By extending the corners, we were able to reclaim over 4500 square feet of asphalt to shorten pedestrian crossing distances, narrow travel lanes and provide canvasses for local artists to beautify the street.

The metrics showed a 45% decrease in travel speeds and immensely improved satisfaction from users of the intersection according to qualitative surveys. Interestingly, we also decreased the noise pollution of the intersection by 10 decibels.

Volker Neighborhood Traffic Calming

DuRon Netsell — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 16:34:21 +0000

Working with the Volker Neighborhood Association, we realigned the intersection to slow travel speeds and improve safety at the intersection. By providing a more visible four way stop and extending the curbs, we were able to improve the safety of this intersection for the neighborhood. To enhance the aesthetics of the intersection, we filled the curb extensions with large planters full of native plants and painted the neighborhood's logo to personalize the project for the neighborhood.