Yellow-and-black traffic signs alert motorists to the potential of walkers crossing the street by showing a silhouette of an anonymous pedestrian in full stride.

Taking that symbolism a big step further are artist Colin Kidder and the Heights Community Development Corp.

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Last week they installed 64 walking man-style figures on the National Street median for 2.5 blocks just north of Summer Avenue.

The idea: Honor each pedestrian killed in 2020 and bring attention to the growing problem of pedestrian traffic deaths.

Memphis experienced a record year for pedestrian deaths last year.

The 5-foot-tall figures represent the death of each Memphis pedestrian killed in 2020.

But Kidder’s public art installation brings emotion to his traffic signs in two ways.

The first name of each pedestrian killed last year is displayed on a figure.

And just like human beings, each figure is unique. Different colors and patterns grace each sign.

Reaction was instantaneous.

“Just in the couple of hours I spent installing it, just the number of people who stopped their cars or were just walking by and asking about it,” said Kidder, a Heights resident whose other well-known public art installations include the “Beacon” sculpture outside Crosstown Concourse and the “Raised River” sculpture along the Wolf River Greenway.

“I believe I even met a family member of one of the victims,” Kidder said of a passerby. “She was pretty sure one of them was her cousin. She was very moved by the art piece.” That victim’s name was Moses.

The installation is a collaboration among Kidder and Heights CDC executive director Jared Myers and special projects director Dane Forlines.

“The basic concept was Dane and Jared’s,” Kidder said. “They wanted to do cutouts of the crosswalk-man symbol. And all the original designs, that was my addition…

“I thought it was very important to show the individuality of each person,” Kidder said. “No two designs are the same.”

A goal was to engage viewers so that they think about the individuals lost, Forlines said.

“These are people they might have known or could have known,” he said. “Could have been their friend or could have been their neighbor.

“By uniquely designing a pattern for each figure and attaching a name to it, it really personalizes it and cause you to take this issue to heart,” Forlines said.

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The $5,000 project budget primarily paid for materials like the corrugated plastic sheets often used for yard signs; Kidder donated his time, Forlines said.

Often, no name is released in initial information given by law enforcement about a pedestrian death. By the next day, the news cycle has rolled on to other things.

But even the wording of such reports is often so passive that the words lack impact, Forlines said.

“It’s easy to separate ourselves from the individual and from the crash when we’re using passive language like ‘A pedestrian was hit’ when what happened was ‘A driver killed a pedestrian,’” he said.

“… That makes it easy as well to just move on past it and not face it.”

The temporary installation is to remain in place for the month of July.

Heights CDC will host a vigil to honor pedestrians killed last year. The event will be 8:30 p.m. on July 24 at 761 National. Family members of those killed and their loved ones will also be honored.

According to the city’s Bikeway and Pedestrian Program, the 64 pedestrians and five cyclists killed last year, and their ages, are Alice W., 50; Anita T., 54; Anterious Y., 39; Antonio N., 40; Arielle B., 22; Arnold C., 55; Audwin R., 60; Betty M., 55; Billy G., 73; Blair C., 27; Bobby W., 55; Breann B., 23; Brion C., 30; Brittany T., 29; Cameron B., 46; Carry C., 29; Christopher M., 37; Christopher R., 30; Clarence B., 70; Crystal J., 37; Darrell E., 49; Dennis H., 27; Destin S., 61; Devin D., 34; Duwarn G., 42; Eddie M., 75; Edward P., 33; Everett C., 67; Felix S., 51; Freddie F., 36; George H., 55; George H., 63; Gilberto M., 18; Glenn F., 54; Gregory A., 40; Jake W., 50; Jarrod W., 11; Jarvis H., 22; Jessie M., 41; John S., 30; Kendall H., 24; Kirk D., 30; Lisa S., 53; Lula N., 64; Luz S., 57; Lymuel B., 56; Maliss G., 51; Mark B., 50; Maurice D., 37; Marvin W., 57; Melvin W., 56; Michael J., 18; Moses W., 50; Mwibe M., 27; Patricia H., 52; Paul P., 58; Richard C., 62; Robert L., 67; Robert P., 30; Roderick A., 32; Rolando R., 48; Sanford, M., 47; Seaphus C., 58; Sherita M., 37; Stephen M., 68; Travis B., 25; Walter G., 40; Willie D., 62 and Willie Lee S., 50.