With community safety on top of mind, 17 students from KVR Middle School in Penticton are painting murals on both sides of a nearby road to help complete a new crosswalk.
On May 3, students will begin the project by painting murals on a section of Jermyn Avenue, on either edge of the new raised crosswalk that connects KVR with Penticton Secondary. The schools are across the street from each other.
The work is part of the city’s new “Friendly Streets” initiative, which also includes a street-painting project at the intersection of Ellis and Nanaimo in downtown Penticton on June 1.
“We’re excited to see the transformations at these two locations as the students, artists and community members make their mark on the city,” said Kristen Dixon, the city’s general manager of infrastructure.
“These two ‘Friendly Streets’ initiatives are just the start of several projects we’ll be exploring in the months and years to come to ensure Penticton’s streets are welcoming and safe for everyone, no matter how you move around.”
A recent study found that incorporating art into roadway designs can reduce the rate of car crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists by 50 per cent, according to the city.
“It’s also a low-cost and effective strategy to slow vehicles through areas with high pedestrian traffic,” city officials added.
The city worked with KVR Middle School teachers Melissa Burdock, Hilary March and Carla O’Bee on the upcoming project.
Burdock said the students decided to incorporate the school colours of both KVR and Penticton Secondary into their work.
“They had such beautiful reasons for the colours they chose,” the local educator said. “For half of the design, they selected shades of blue, representing KVR colours, and meaning ‘strength.’ The shades represent diversity in our community; we are all different and should be proud of who we are.”
Jermyn Avenue will be closed to traffic on Friday, May 3, between 8:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., to accommodate the students’ work.
The city’s initiative also includes the “Safe Routes to School” studies at Uplands and Carmi Elementary schools, which could result in future road safety improvement projects.
“Other related road safety improvement projects are being planned within local neighbourhoods to address safety concerns raised by community members and as recommended in the Transportation Master Plan,” the city said.
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