DOT’s New “Look” Street Inlays Hit the Lower East Side

While its counterpart south of Delancey basks in the glow of upgraded pavers and street furniture, the Allen Street Mall north of the proverbial border remains destitute. Still stuck in the pilot mode of painted pavement and flexible bollards to denote future efforts.

But there’s been a recent development on East Houston. Remember those “Look” inlays embedded in the asphalt a few years ago instructing pedestrians to look before crossing? Well, a pair of cartoonish stamps recently arrived in the intersection of Allen Street. These are much larger, sporting eyeballs in the O’s which direct you to look in the proper direction of traffic.

The old version

These inlay upgrades seem to be prototypes for a new DOT-sponsored safety campaign throughout the neighborhood. And it appears a host of other intersections are already slated to receive the street stamps, including the northeast corner of Delancey and Essex which is already marked for change. Meanwhile, the whole effort is outlined in this recently-stocked advert at the JZ subway entrance on the Bowery.