Council approves rainbow-colored crosswalk

Design on Stevens Creek Blvd. produces mixed feelings

Cupertino is the latest city to approve a rainbowcolored crosswalk in support of the LGBTQ+ community, joining a list that includes San Jose and San Francisco.

But Cupertino’s design will be more subtle than most, with a single rainbow stripe extending the length of the crosswalk and bordering traditional white diagonal lines.

The council’s 4-1 decision left advocates with mixed feelings. While pleased that the council approved their preferred location — on Stevens Creek Blvd., where it intersects with Finch Ave. near Cupertino High School — they would have been more satisfied with a complete rainbow crosswalk

“At first, I was super, super excited,” said Jasmin Wang, a 2020 Cupertino High graduate who helped organize the push for the crosswalk as co-founder of the Cupertino Association of Youth LGBTQ+ Advocates. “It was really unexpected. I did not think they would pass a rainbow crosswalk, especially the first meeting.’

Wang, a freshman at University of Southern California, said her mood “plummeted” after learning it would not be a full rainbow crosswalk.

“It felt like we went so far, tried so hard and then we got this minimalistic line outside the crosswalk,” she said Sept. 18. “But at the same time, I am still really happy that our efforts weren’t gone to waste. We did get a rainbow crosswalk.”

Weather-permitting, the crosswalk will be painted in three to four months, at the end of the first phase of a bike lane project now underway in that area, a city official said.

Advocates pushed for the Stevens Creek and Finch intersection because of its proximity to the high school.

“This location is strongly supported by LGBTQ students and their allies,” said Drew Lloyd, president of Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee, an LGBTQ political action group. “This crosswalk will act as a beacon of hope to many students attending the school.

“I would hope that the city of Cupertino and its council would send a message of support to LGBTQ people and especially the kids coming to terms with themselves at this critical point in their lives.”

The council struggled with its decision because Federal Highway Administration guidelines do not recommend bright colors in crosswalks.

The highway administration’s rules state that “colored pavement located between crosswalk lines should not use colors or patterns that degrade the contrast of white crosswalk lines, or that might be mistaken by road users as a traffic control application.”

But those guidelines have not stopped other cities from painting crosswalks.

“I know that we all take risks in life and the city takes risks, too,” said Councilmember Rod Sinks, who introduced the motion when it seemed as if the discussion might continue at a later date. “If this isn’t within the guidelines, I think we are in good company in expressing ourselves and our support for the community.

“Yeah, we could do a lot of other things and study a lot more stuff. But that’s not what the advocates have asked for. I think we’re making this too hard.”

City staff provided alternatives that would have met federal guidelines, such as painting nearby sidewalks, medians and street signs in rainbow colors.

Staff also identified an alternate site for a crosswalk — at Torre Avenue and Town Center Lane near City Hall and the Cupertino Library — because traffic and speed are less a concern there than at Finch and Stevens Creek.

The council was shown examples of rainbow crosswalks in San Francisco’s Castro District and Atlanta and a rainbow mural that covered an entire intersection in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Lloyd, in his address to the council during public comments, showed examples of rainbow crosswalks on the Alameda in San Jose and in Willow Glen.

The example the council approved comes from Traverse, Michigan.

Liang Chao, the only council member to vote no, said she supports the idea of Cupertino opening its arms to everyone but would rather see rainbow colors on street corners than in a crosswalk.

“Yeah, other people are doing rainbow crosswalks,” Chao said. “Why do we have to follow what other people have done? Cupertino, we should set our own standards. Other people do crosswalks. We can do street corners … with very bright-colored stripes that can even last longer. Other people will say, ‘Hey, that’s even better. Let’s follow Cupertino.’”

The council also voted unanimously to form a task force that will look into future symbols to support the LGBTQ+ community, a move advocates applauded.

“That discussion meant a lot in terms of the city council and where they’re taking steps,” said Jordan Chen, a 2020 Cupertino High graduate who also cofounded Cupertino Association of Youth LGBTQ+ Advocates and now attends University of California, Davis.