The Transportation Department, in collaboration with the Community Development Department, is working on a pilot project to add artistic treatments to four crosswalks around the city. This work is being funded by a U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant plus funding from Community Development’s Arts and Culture program. While the intent of the asphalt art is purely aesthetic, the project will evaluate how the artistic crosswalks compare to twelve control/no-treatment crosswalks. Performance measures may include safety, maintenance and community sentiments. This project will also help with the development of a guide for the future implementation of asphalt art.
The four crosswalks will be located at 164th Avenue NE and NE 24th Street, 124th Avenue NE and NE 8th Street, 132nd Avenue NE and Bel-Red Road, and 106th Avenue NE and NE 10th Street. At each of these locations, one crosswalk will have a creative design applied and the other crosswalks will remain as they are to serve as controls/no-treatment crosswalks.
How to get involved
The artists are attending several upcoming community events to gather ideas and input for the crosswalk designs. Attend one of the events below to talk to the artists and create your own creative crosswalk that the artists will use as inspiration:
- August 14, 4-7 p.m., Bellevue Youth Theatre/Crossroads Movies in the Park
- August 15, 4-6 p.m., KidsQuest Museum Summer Nights (paid; see website for more details)
- August 23, 3-9 p.m., BelRed Arts Night Market
If you’re unable to attend any of these events, we have a crosswalk design template available, which you can download, print, decorate and submit to us via mail or email. These will be shared with the artists to help inspire their designs.
Artists
The city’s selection panel chose two artists for the Creative Crosswalk Designs project; each artist will design two crosswalks.
Nikita Ares
Nikita Ares (b. 1996, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines) is a Seattle-based visual artist whose work explores movement, energy, and the emotional landscape of the self through abstract painting and drawing. She immigrated to the United States at 17 and received her BFA from Cornish College of the Arts in 2018. Her work spans studio painting, public art, and community-centered workshops, including murals that enliven spaces with vibrant presence. Ares has created outdoor murals across Washington and beyond, and she continues to expand her practice through collaborations and socially engaged projects.
Kenji Stoll
Kenji Stoll is a Tacoma based artist with a background in design, graffiti art, murals and community based public art. His work often layers patterns, natural imagery and motifs, informed by his Japanese American heritage and Japanese art. He enjoys working on public art projects because of their accessibility, and the ways in which it shapes our shared understanding of who we are and where we live.
Timeline
- 2026-2027: Crosswalks will be evaluated compared to the control/no-treatment crosswalks and results will be analyzed.
- Summer 2026: Crosswalk art is scheduled to be installed.
- October 2025: Art designs for the crosswalk complete.
- Summer 2025: Community outreach and development of design. More information on outreach will be available on this webpage.
- April-May 2025: Artist selection