Kearny Residents Paint Street Mural to Slow Traffic

Kearny residents picked up paintbrushes on Saturday, Oct. 17, to turn a stretch of road into a street mural meant to slow drivers and make the area safer for people on foot.

The temporary project, led by Hudson County with Kearny Mayor Carol Jean Doyle and the town, will stay in place for about a month. Union City art teacher Christina Fredrickson designed the artwork, and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority supplied materials.

The county said the colorful design is meant to draw drivers’ attention to the road and get people talking about pedestrian safety and traffic calming, the term for street changes that slow cars down.

“Making our streets safer requires us to think differently about how we design and use our public spaces,” County Executive Craig Guy said. “What makes this project particularly special is that our residents are helping bring that vision to life.”

The project is part of the county’s Vision Zero plan, which aims to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on Hudson County roads by 2034. The county is asking residents to share their thoughts on the Kearny project through an online survey on its Vision Zero website.