Damonte Ranch drivers hit three wild horses on the road this October, according to the City of Reno. Councilwoman Naomi Duerr said she wants to bring that number down.
"We're really pleased to announce that we were awarded half a million dollars form the federal ARPA funds, and those will be used to help us fully fence this range," Duerr told 2 News on Thursday.
The fencing project will begin in Spring 2024, and the city expects it to be finished by 2026.
This initiative follows another horse safety project that the city finished in March, installing new nighttime speed limit signs along South Veterans Parkway.
Duerr and Reno Police said, following the installation of the new signs, they saw a decrease in horse-related collisions this summer. They're hoping the safety fencing brings crashes down even more.
"So far it has reduced our crashes, but we want to get that down to zero," said Sergeant Adam Blount with Reno Police Department's (RPD) traffic division.
Blount added that horse crash scenes are often more brutal than typical car collisions.
"Our occupants of the car are way more susceptible to being injured because of the height of the horse." Blount said.
Duerr added that accidents are often fatal for the horses. Two of the three horses struck in October had to be euthanized following the crashes.
"Generally, what I've seen, is the horses die. The cars are totaled. So far we haven't had a loss of life of humans, but I feel it's only a matter of time," she said.
She added that if residents see horses on roadways they should report it to the Wild Horse Connection, a nonprofit that helps manage Virginia Range horses on city property.
To contact Wild Horse Connection, call (775) 352-3944
