8 million swimming,
The traffic rolling like waves.
Watch for undertow.
New York City streets are getting a little more literary. The city Transportation Department has partnered with an artist, John Morse, to create a series of graphic, pop-art signs encouraging drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to be more careful. Each 8-foot-by-8-foot sign, placed at dangerous intersections, has an accompanying haiku poem.
The city is calling it Curbside Haiku. Here's more from a DOT press release:
"The “Curbside Haiku” installation can be seen citywide on 144 signs to promote road safety. Each design and haiku delivers a safety message by focusing on a transportation mode.
Placed near eye level in high-crash locations near cultural institutions and schools, the colorful signs draw attention to the critical importance of shared responsibility among pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists in keeping New York City’s streets safe."
You can see more of the signs in this slideshow. Alternately, The Department of Transportation provides a list of all the locations around the city, if you'd rather see them in person.