The City of Reno has launched a new pilot project to improve pedestrian safety through public art, installing a mural painted directly on the asphalt at the intersection of Yori Avenue and Roberts Street near Libby Booth Elementary School.
The project also includes pedestrian bulb-outs to help calm traffic and increase visibility.
According to the city, this is the first mural of its kind in Reno, designed specifically to enhance pedestrian safety.
"I am so proud of our incredible Public Works and Arts & Culture teams for coming together to create something truly special for Reno,” said Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve. “This project is a creative solution that helps keep our residents, especially our kids, safe as they travel on our roads and sidewalks.”
The mural was painted by Nathaniel Benjamin, a University of Nevada, Reno graduate and local artist known for his work across the Great Basin Desert region. He is also a founding member of Laika Press, a community printmaking space in Reno. Benjamin previously contributed to a sidewalk painting project at Anderson Elementary focused on safe crossings near schools.
Students from Libby Booth Elementary played a role in the mural’s final design by submitting drawings of imaginative ways to get to school, including concepts like spaceships, teleportation, dolphins, and school buses.
The project was funded with $11,600 from the City’s Street Fund, which covered the cost of paint, supplies, and the artist’s fee.
The mural will be officially unveiled on Friday.
