2019 Madison | hawthorne tunnel mural | under E. washington ave. at wright St. | Exterior

People often talk about the importance of the journey, and up until recently, the Hawthorne Tunnel wasn’t much to brag about. It was long, dark, and a little bit scary. It was also an important passageway for students to safely get to school without having to cross the six lanes of traffic on Madison’s busiest road, East Washington Avenue. So neighborhood, school, and city organizers put their heads together to find a good solution.

Over the course of several months, DAMA worked with the Hawthorne Neighborhood Association and Hawthorne Elementary School to gain a better understanding of the role of the Hawthorne Tunnel in students’ daily commutes, and how to improve it. How could we bring light and color into the tunnel to make it a safer route for kids—and more fun? How could we involve kids in the solution, to design their own passageway between home and school, between different activities?

We are excited to unveil the new and improved Hawthorne Pedestrian Tunnel this Tuesday, October 15, 2019 from 9:15 to 10:15! The dedication will start at Hawthorne Elementary School (3344 Concord Ave). The students and staff will then walk to the mural tunnel at 9:35. Join us on our walk to celebrate safer, brighter, and more beautiful pedestrian pathways in our community!

Thank You to the Following:

Funders/Donations:
· City of Madison Planning Grant
· City of Madison Community Arts Grant
· Capital Times Kids Fund
· Willy Street Coop Reinvestment Fund
· Hawthorne Community Schools
· Hawthorne Neighborhood Association
· Hallman Lindsay Paints

Hawthorne Elementary
Healthy Kids Collaborative and the Safe Routes to School program

Public Health Madison Dane County
Dane Arts Mural Arts
East Madison Community Center
Madison Police Department
City of Madison Planning Department
City of Madison Engineering Dept
Council person Grant Foster