Council to receive report on rainbow crosswalk
Queen Street possible site to show support of LGBTQ+ community
Staff is going to report back to city council on the best path forward for installing a rainbow crossing on Queen Street in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Niagara Falls resident Falynn Shaw made the official request in an email addressed to council July 31.
The city also received a letter of support from the Downtown Board of Management.
Although neither letter specified an exact area of Queen Street for the crosswalk, the council agenda identified Queen Street and Erie Avenue.
The staff report is expected to address paint options, associated costs and pedestrian safety.
During Tuesday evening’s council meeting, Karl Dren, the city’s director of transportation services, said the Queen Street and Erie Avenue location is scheduled to be reconstructed next year.
“We’re not saying don’t do it, what we’re saying is just to be informed of what it’s going to cost,” he said.
“We had a quick check with other municipalities — Hamilton and other ones that are doing the same thing — and they all recommended they go to durable markings. When you do that, the cost to do the entire intersection is $32,000, so we don’t want to put that down at that intersection and have it ripped up next year.”
Dren said staff may approach the downtown BIA to see if there is an alternative that could work.
“We’ve been working with the downtown and maybe down the street is a better (option) — maybe the timing of the construction is such that we can do that and
get it done.”
He said whatever option is chosen, the plan is to have it done by next June, the month of Pride meant to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
Coun. Lori Lococo said she received comments from residents about the issue.
“They were in support of it, but there were some other comments about, is it going to be safe at night because there’s different colours, compared to white? Will you be able to see it or will it be dark? Some people said that some of the crosswalks in other communities are very dirty and don’t look very nice, so they were thinking about, was there another way to do it on a bench or poles or something different? A motorcycle rider said when the pavement is wet, because of all of the paint, it causes them to keep going.”
Lococo asked for those issues to be looked at in the staff report.
Shaw said she hoped, but was unable, to attend Tuesday’s meeting.
In her absence, she asked Coun. Wayne Campbell to read a poem she wrote about the issue.
“Fifty years later and it is still a fight. What is happening in my community just isn’t right,” reads the poem.
“If you’ve never felt the depression that’s caused by oppression, I’m happy for you, but can you just remember this planet is full of other people, too. We all have different stories about from where we came, that’s what makes this world wonderful, none of us are the same. The rainbow is a symbol of unity, not just for the community but for all. This crosswalk is a means to build a bridge, not build a wall.”
Coun. Carolynn Ioannoni said she was disappointed to receive negative comments about the issue in the lead up to Tuesday’s meeting.
“I got a lot of very bigoted, very homophobic, very anti-gay emails and messages on Facebook in regard to this and I can’t believe in 2019 that those are still the stigmas that the LGBTQ community still has to put up with,” she said.
Coun. Chris Dabrowski said it’s important the city continue to find ways to “embrace and support” the LGBTQ+ community.
He described the rainbow crosswalk as a “great initiative” and one that complements other events and social activities in the municipality.
“I think it fits perfectly within our community.”