Local Actions uses creative road safety interventions

The Pedestrian First Project aims to raise awareness around pedestrian vulnerability and the need to respect their integrity. Its goal is to amplify the message about how road users are responsible for creating safer spaces and how they can advocate for safer roads in Bogotá.

To achieve this, project lead Maryfely Rincón and her team from Despacio, led different creative road safety interventions to give people the perspective of children and other vulnerable road users.

One of their first activities included visiting and setting up booths on different travel routes where they invited young and diverse citizens to use a reverse periscope to live the experience of children and short people when walking.

Through the tool, they were able to see streets and walkways from the perspective of children and disabled road users. The participants of the exercise were asked to identify the need for infrastructure improvements for a safe and comfortable walking. The participants shared the requests that they would make to the decision-makers to improve and promote the walk in the city.

Other creative interventions included two theatrical interventions that portrayed dramatised scenarios on the street and a “flash mode” performances.

The theatrical interventions consisted of the portrayal of four dramatised scenarios on the street during moments when the traffic light displayed a red signal. Each of these scenarios was accompanied by signs containing messages aimed at promoting respect for pedestrians on the roads, directed at different participants in the traffic flow.

A flashmode performance was also carried out at the intersection of Calle 72 and Carrera 9, the financial and educational center of the city. Twelve young local artist/actors developed a flashmode to call the attention of pedestrians and motorized vehicle drivers who were in the area, about the importance of recognizing that we are all pedestrians and must respect each other.

The flashmode was performed three times between10:20 am to 11:00 am, The artists used the phrases "We are all pedestrians, let's respect each other on the road" and "In the middle of the artistic intervention."

Finally, the team opened drawing competitions for children that highlighted their experiences on the road. The Contest was opened in which boys, girls, and adolescents drew their experiences of walking to school.