Since our article on SDOT’s pedestrian safety campaign, more local blogs have spoken out in defense of the controversial campaign, including PubliCola, Seattle Transit Blog, and Seattle Bike Blog.
Here’s a dancing, umbrella flash mob, using umbrellas as part of the safety awareness campaign:
Following this, King 5 reported that a local business owner wants to know why we didn’t have a dancing, street-shoveling flash mob to clean up the snow. (that’s a joke)
Seriously, though, SDOT is getting their $47,000 out of this safety awareness campaign. While some people may criticize it, more people know about the campaign and the safety umbrellas than would have been possible without mainstream media coverage. Even if it’s the umbrellas that are receiving all the attention, people across the city are now more aware of the risks to people on foot. Whether that awareness translates to safer driving and fewer collisions downtown, however, remains to be seen.
Hey, thanks for featuring our flash-mob video in your blog! We had a blast learning to dance with umbrellas in a week (we are all volunteers, and only a few of us are professional dancers – we are all just ordinary Seattle-area residents who love engaging in random acts of dance in unexpected places).
We are all part of the Seattle Flash mob Community and NOT city employees!!!! We are volunteers just out there having fun!!!