Failed rainbow crosswalks slated for removal in Burlington
Published April 1, 2024 at 3:30 pm
Three of the four rainbow crosswalks created to celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Burlington are likely to be removed and replaced with another form of commemoration.
A City of Burlington report shows that the colourful coating used to mark the crosswalks is not bonding to the asphalt and repeated attempts to repair have not worked.
The report additionally points out the crosswalks have also been the target of vandals who have been spray painting the sites and leaving tire marks.
All of this has added to several complaints by residents about the poor condition of the three sidewalks.
The issue has the City considering ways other than crosswalks to honour diversity and marginalized groups.
The crosswalks in question are at Fairview Street and Drury Lane, Plains Road West and Botanical Drive, and Upper Middle Road in front of M.M. Robinson High School.
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They were installed in 2021 at a cost of $9,000 each.
Repeated warranty repairs carried out over the past two years on the crosswalks have continued to fail. Replacing these areas with another technology to apply the rainbow effect has been ruled out over financial concerns and the fear that it could also not adhere properly to the road surface.
A fourth location, installed earlier at Lakeshore Road and Burlington Avenue will remain because it used a different technology to create the rainbow and remains intact.
The City’s Transportation Services Department has recommended replacing the rainbows with standard crosswalks.
As well, as a replacement and to commemorate the 2SLGBTQIA+ + (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual) community, transportation department staff is suggesting that traffic poles near the affected crosswalks be wrapped in rainbow colours using graffiti and sticker resistant material.
Further, the report suggests the City consider commemorative options that are outside of the travelled portion of the roadway which would reduce ongoing maintenance costs, limit vandalism and that can be repaired quickly.
The matter will go before a City of Burlington committee meeting next week and will have to be approved by City council if the new plan is to proceed.
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