Public Sign Makeover by Dax Tran-Caffee
April 9th, 2008 1:32 PMInstalled at 1PM, Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
Duration: STILL THERE (September 6, 2011 at 8:02pm)
Intended to break down tension between motorists and bicyclists in a city where the two are particularly violent towards each other.
Installed along a major bike-commute route.
Project Timeline:
The necessity to create a sign with this text was decided as early as September 2007.
In November, an existing sign presented itself, discarded in a gutter on Elston Ave.
The sign was stripped of the existing vinyl lettering in February 2008, and new vinyl letters were cut by hand.
The sign would eventually be hung on existing collars on Elston Ave, where it was originally found. This would place it on a major bike-commute route, on the Northwest-bound side of the street (evening commute).
The hanging of the sign was delayed due to a severe Chicago Winter. In late May, bicyclists finally returned to the Elston Ave bike lane.
On April 9th, 2008, a wonderful sunny Spring day, the sign was finally hung.
The status of the sign is being monitored daily. Developments will be posted as they occur.
EDIT: I moved away from Chicago in December 2009; I hope the sign survives.
86 vote(s)
- Dela Dejavoo
- Ink Tea
- Jellybean of Thark
- Spidere
- Tøm
- Haberley Mead
- Lincøln
- Flea
- Ziggy C.
- Secret Agent
- Sean Mahan
- Ted Logan
- Bex.
- Praxis
- Darkaardvark
- Julian Muffinbot
- GYØ Ben
- Optical Dave
- .thatskarobot
- Adam
- chaos shard
- Sparrows Fall
- Andy Korzik
- Flitworth
- avidd opolis
- SNORLAX
- Herbie Hatman
- JTony Loves Brains
- Myrna Minx
- Le Renard Rouge
- zer0gee
- Lank
- Magpie
- auntie matter
- praximity
- Loki
- The Animus
- Robert Burt
- meredithian
- Tricia Tanaka
- LittleMonk
- anna one
- teh Lolbrarian
- Kyle Westwood
- Gremlin
- Kid A
- inquisitive dragonfly
- thepuppies
- Burn Unit
- Celina
- star5
- Evil Sugar
- LSK
- *la nerdrice*
- qwerty uiop
- Indy
- Fonne Tayne
- miss understanding
- help im a bear
- Rubin Starset
- Lizard Boy
- Minch
- teucer
- Le Olexander
- ENØ Bli33ard
- Ben Yamiin
- Mr. O.
- steve rules
- Waldo Cheerio
- susy derkins
- niallsb: Forevolution
- Fox Glove
- MsGoblinPants Extraordinaire
- Cole E
- Pizazz
- TEA
- Keith Irwin
- done
- Rin Brooker
- Bjørn Teuleuse
- rongo rongo
- carry_me_Zaddy
- Markov Walker
- Art Catrambone
- Kattapa
- relet 裁判長
Favorite of:
- Tricia Tanaka
- Burn Unit
- Pizazz
- TEA
- Sombrero Guy
- Morte
- Tøm
- artmouse
- Philippe
- Logic
- Secret Agent
- anna one
- Markov Walker
- Lincøln
- Cloud
Terms
shplank35 comment(s)
Dax, you are -- just.
There are no words.
"Genius" and "brilliant" come to mind, but they are mere understatements.
Here in Great Yarmouth our flying bikes are higher than our flying horses, at least out trains stay in the right place.
Sorry about the picture, seriously cropped.
I keep thinking I should take a photo of these signs but then think I already have one, turns out I dont.
bex, that sign looks like it could have come from austria
Speaking of, I had the opportunity to ride over that S. Damen bridge last week. What a dastardly piece of architecture!
I'm quite impressed that you run that gauntlet every day. At the very least, when the cars eventually get the better of you, the last thing you'll see is that amazing view.
dax... visit market street... and townsend... soon... their gauntlets cry meagerly, 'help' !
Efforts are commended, good sir. What's the distance between this and say, any given checkpoint for the new Journey?
Hm, 2.1 miles between this and the starting point.....
Quite far from the Journey route.
But come to Tea and Pancakes, and hopefully it will still be there.
I saw it yesterday! It's extremely official-looking - I can't imagine people look at it and say to themselves, "Hey, do you think that sign actually belongs there?" Because it so obviously DOES belong there.
i saw the sign when i was there! had no idea it was fake or for a task or anything. well done!
Oh my god... I just saw this task, and I am blown away. Making public changes that *stay* is quite the feat.
I, on the other hand, saw it quite a while ago - but your comment made me see it again and notice that I somehow neglected to cast a much-needed vote.
That is incredible. Could you post more information about how to strip and cut new lettering (and affix new lettering) for these signs -- I can't beat you, but I'd love to copy your method!
UPDATE:
Sunday, July 13th, 3.30AM:
L.A.T.E. night bike ride '08 cruises by this installation
(sorry, I have no pictures, but I think there are pictures out there!)
I am now leaving Chicagø. The sign remains intact, eight months and counting, though I will no longer be monitoring it every day.
If you ride past this location sometime in the future, let me know if it has survived!
20 months aloft, not a scratch to show for it.
This project made page 40 of the Public Art Review!
Hat was already off, so, an extra recognition dance, Dax.
I believe I've seen this, or a copycat sign elsewhere. I'll try to make note of it if I see something like this and report the wheres and whens.
Still there, 10-6-13. I drive past it several times a week. It has a couple of stickers on the lower edge now, but is otherwise as documented.
It's still up.
https://www.reddit.com/r/chibike/comments/wnto2z/elston_north_of_logan_blvd_is_one_of_the_best/
I drive past it regularly and remember.
I only check this site once in a great while, anymore. I check it today, and someone had done one of my tasks! Very well done, too.
We Like Your Completion.