Telegraph Avenue Road Redesign Documentation Illustration DRAFT

File under: Mapping/ Surveying

Telegraph Avenue Redesign Draft 10-21-2020, Brian Brooks

This project is a work in progress. An attempt to illustrate the road re-design that was installed into our neighborhood in early 2020. The heavy-handed modern stripes and bollards was not the aesthetic I was looking forward to, so I embraced it with all my might.

It dawned on me how easy the stripes and turning lanes and bike decals would be to recreate in the computer using my Adobe Illustrator, with so many repeating stripes and arrows, I would just need a finite amount of measurements.

This was a two step process. Number one would be taking field notes onto index cards as I surveyed the different road elements using my 12″ shoes and walking heel-to-toe as a measuring device.

And later on I would input the measurements into the illustration program.

History of my Surveying Projects:

During the Covid Pandemic lock downs, I took to more private activities around the neighborhood. Plein air painting attracts too many people and conversations on the street, so I soon took to active projects that I could move around more than painting on an easel allows, and that was plein air drawings – using a clipboard and index cards and ball point pens.

I started drawing construction sites in the evenings, following the progress of the days work.

When construction projects wrapped up, I would then need to find something to do. One such to-do I found, was drawing a grid on an index card and then using my feet and paces to lay an invisible grid over an area, and allow me to map areas, large to small.

I first mapped Kasper’s Plaza, then moved over to Hooper’s Chocolates and did their lot, and half of Mcdonald’s north Parking lot.

I then Brian’s island, a traffic medium, as well as some newly installed striping in between McDonald’s and Hooper’s.

I then had an idea of making a digital illustration of the sidewalk lines in front of the newly constructed 4700 Telegraph, which I had painted the demolition and construction of over the years of 2017-2019. This building sits across the street from our old Smokey’s Tangle, and the old location of Rise Above.

I then discovered that using this method would allow me to attempt an even bigger area, and that is when the idea to map and illustrated all of Telegraph Avenue from 45th, to 51st. That area has expanded to 40th in my goal. I have not completed the final illustration, but have made great progress.

 

Surveying evenings by foot with notes.

March 2021 — April 2021

 

3-26-2021 1.png 3-13-2021 1.png 3-13-2021 2.png 3-13-2021 3.png 3-13-2021 4.png 3-13-2021 5.png 3-26-2021 2.png 3-27-2021.png 3-29-2021 1.png 3-29-2021 2.png 3-29-2021 3.png

4-3-2021 1.png 4-3-2021 2.png 4-3-2021 3.png 4-6-2021 1.png 4-7-2021 1.png 4-7-2021 2.png 4-8-2021 1.png 4-8-2021 2.png 4-9-2021 1.png 4-9-2021 2.png 4-9-2021 3.png 4-12-2021 1.png 4-12-2021 2.png 4-12-2021 3.png 4-14-2021 1.png 4-14-2021 2.png 4-15-2021 1.png 4-16-2021 1.png 4-16-2021 2.png 4-16-2021 3.png 4-16-2021 4.png 4-19-2021 1.png 4-20-2021 1.png 4-22-2021 1.png 4-22-2021 2.png 4-30-2021 1.png 4-30-2021 2.png 4-30-2021 Telegraph Plein Air Looking South at 48th Street.png