REPORT TO CULTURAL COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Review and Recommend a Preferred Rainbow Crosswalk Location and Design to City Council
Report
BACKGROUND
The City's Capital Improvement Program Budget (CIP Budget) includes $100,000 for a project titled, Rainbow Crosswalk. This project was added during the June 25, 2024 City Council meeting, where the Council directed staff to install one rainbow-colored crosswalk in the City. The concept of a rainbow crosswalk was originally proposed through a written petition submitted by Councilmember Becker on October 11, 2021 and was also included on the City Council's Priority Setting list. Rainbow-colored crosswalks have been utilized by many municipalities as a display of support for the LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual) community.
DISCUSSION
Aesthetic treatments at crosswalks are considered forms of artwork; therefore, this item is being presented to the Cultural Commission for consideration. Staff is requesting that the Cultural Commission review and recommend a preferred rainbow crosswalk location and design to the City Council.
Staff researched regulatory guidelines regarding rainbow crosswalks, rainbow crosswalks in other municipalities, potential locations in Santa Clara, and identified two recommended crosswalk locations along with a proposed design.
Regulatory Guidance
In June 2024, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced that aesthetic surface treatments, such as rainbow-colored artwork in crosswalks, are not considered traffic control devices. Consequently, these treatments are not regulated by the Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) which the City follows for the installation and maintenance of traffic control devices in Santa Clara. It should be noted that while rainbow-colored artwork can be added on roadways, traditional roadway markings, including crosswalk markings (i.e. white pavement markings), must still be installed, and ca...
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