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Stamford Pride has announced it will be paining a rainbow crosswalk in front of Old Town Hall at Main Street in Stamford on Saturday, August 10th from 8am - 11am.
A number of other Connecticut towns have already painted rainbow crosswalks, including Wilton, Ridgefield, Middletown, New Milford, Litchfield, and Westport.
While activists argue the crosswalks create a beacon of "inclusivity" for the LGBTQ+ community, the truth is that rainbow crosswalks have been a source of considerable controversy, especially regarding safety issues.
For example, in September 2019, the city of Ames, Iowa, painted a rainbow crosswalk which prompted the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to issue a letter requesting that the crosswalks be removed.
The FHWA letter said that a rainbow crosswalk "diminishes the contrast between the white lines and the pavement, potentially decreasing the effectiveness of the crosswalk markings and the safety of pedestrian traffic.”
“The purpose of aesthetic treatments and crosswalk art is to ‘draw the eye’ of pedestrians and drivers,” the FHWA continued, “in direct conflict with commanding the attention of drivers and motorists to minimize the risk of collision.”
The city council of Ames ignored the FHWA letter.
It's not just the FHWA that's concerned about the safety issues created by rainbow crosswalks, disability groups have also raised safety concerns.
People with visual impairments, dementia, learning disabilities or autism may rely on the high contrast between black and white stripes to cross the road safely, while people with other disabilities may not recognize the crossings as such. The colors might even be overwhelming for autistic people.
Some Stamford residents are wondering whether tire marks left on the rainbow crosswalk, either intentional or accidental, might be considered a form of vandalism, and perhaps even considered a hate crime against the LGBT+ community.
"When rainbow crosswalks have been installed in other towns, people have responded by intentionally coming to the area just to spin out their tires and put burn marks all over the paint," said a Stamford resident opposed to the rainbow crosswalk.
"Crosswalks should never be used to send divisive political messages or to prioritize the religious beliefs of one group over another," he continued. "Despite what the Stamford Pride activists say, a rainbow crosswalk is far from being inclusive. In fact, it excludes people whose religious beliefs are opposed to homosexuality or transgenderism."
"The whole point of a crosswalk is so you can safely get across the street, from point A to point B, that's it" he said. "Crosswalks should never be a place for this kind of political activism."
OMG HOW HORRIFIC- HOW WILL PEOPLE COPE
most people just want safe crosswalks and even the highway administration said that crosswalks should have high contrast to protect pedestrians and drivers.
do you care about pedestrian safety?
do you want people to get run down in the rainbow crosswalks because drivers can't see them when it's dark outside and the contrast is really low?
or is virtue signaling about LGBTQ+ people more important than keeping people safe?
some people are really STUPID, just like "Oof"
Gosh, in a city where there have been so many pedestrians hit by cars, you might think that creating this distraction (and making it more difficult for people and drivers to see the actual crosswalk) at a very busy location would be prohibited. Isn’t there a parking garage wall or side of a building where a “rainbow” could be painted as an alternative?