Seems like a rational solution to me... which means it would never be considered LOL Honestly, most people have been "diversity'd" into exhaustion, and they are just done with the nonstop propaganda. A local government choosing to celebrate ALL of its people with a neutral - yet community-focused - project just makes sense in today's climate.
This question may become moot if Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has his way. But it’s interesting that the safety issue has been questioned for awhile.
“The evolution of crosswalk treatments continued into the form of ‘crosswalk art’ because it was becoming a common misconception that as long as the white transverse lines were present—thereby legally marking the crosswalk—then the agency was free to treat the interior portion of the crosswalk as it desired. In 2011, the FHWA issued an additional Official Rulingmutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/reso… that crosswalk art—defined as any freeform design to draw attention to the crosswalk—would degrade the contrast of the white transverse lines against the composition of the pavement beneath it. In deviating from previous Official Rulings on the matter that concluded an increased factor of safety and decreased number of pedestrian deaths were not evident after installation, this 2011 Official Ruling stated that the use of crosswalk art is actually contrary to the goal of increased safety and most likely could be a contributing factor to a false sense of security for both motorists and pedestrians.”
There’s no ban at this time, but it’s worth pointing out that this may become a federal vs. state issue because I’m sure the federal DOT will be threatening the state’s highway money if they don't comply and Wes Moore isn’t going to go along with any sort of rainbow crosswalk ban. Then again, such a federal directive also would make Mayor Taylor's artistic idea problematic as well.
I live outside the Salisbury area in Delaware. This was just amusing to me because I used to live in Salisbury and they’ve made a big deal out of that crosswalk for several years. But I took the time to read the piece, and added to your subscriber list despite the fact you and I are certainly political opposites. It was a well-written perspective from the pro-rainbow point of view. I'm not really for a rainbow crosswalk but if you want to make the maximum amount of people happy perhaps there's merit in my idea about the verses from Genesis.
I'm not sure what I can add to your article, though. To me, there's really no point in a follow up until either the crosswalk is painted over or Mayor Taylor relents. If I were to lay odds I would say it's a 60-40 chance he'll cave.
You certainly describe an interesting federal dynamic, if they tried it I don’t think it would be something openly announced though nor too successful.
Thanks for reading and subscribing. From my perspective, this isn’t about making everyone happy. It is about signaling that a community is open and safe for all, especially when LGBTQ+ people still face real threats to their safety. I always value hearing from the Salisbury diaspora and those who see things differently. We will keep the dialogue open, and if there is ever something you think could help people better understand different views, feel free to reach out.
Seems like a rational solution to me... which means it would never be considered LOL Honestly, most people have been "diversity'd" into exhaustion, and they are just done with the nonstop propaganda. A local government choosing to celebrate ALL of its people with a neutral - yet community-focused - project just makes sense in today's climate.
Sharp piece, Michael *salute
You may be interested in my latest post: https://open.substack.com/pub/willfries/p/salisbury-mds-anti-lgbtq-actions?r=17md5s&utm_medium=ios
I read the piece, and this was my response:
This question may become moot if Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has his way. But it’s interesting that the safety issue has been questioned for awhile.
“The evolution of crosswalk treatments continued into the form of ‘crosswalk art’ because it was becoming a common misconception that as long as the white transverse lines were present—thereby legally marking the crosswalk—then the agency was free to treat the interior portion of the crosswalk as it desired. In 2011, the FHWA issued an additional Official Rulingmutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/reso… that crosswalk art—defined as any freeform design to draw attention to the crosswalk—would degrade the contrast of the white transverse lines against the composition of the pavement beneath it. In deviating from previous Official Rulings on the matter that concluded an increased factor of safety and decreased number of pedestrian deaths were not evident after installation, this 2011 Official Ruling stated that the use of crosswalk art is actually contrary to the goal of increased safety and most likely could be a contributing factor to a false sense of security for both motorists and pedestrians.”
https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/interpretations/3_09_24.htm#fn4
Thank you, I appreciate the time you took to read it. What do you think Secretary Duffy would do to make it moot?
Would you be available for an interview for a follow up piece on the subject?
There’s no ban at this time, but it’s worth pointing out that this may become a federal vs. state issue because I’m sure the federal DOT will be threatening the state’s highway money if they don't comply and Wes Moore isn’t going to go along with any sort of rainbow crosswalk ban. Then again, such a federal directive also would make Mayor Taylor's artistic idea problematic as well.
I live outside the Salisbury area in Delaware. This was just amusing to me because I used to live in Salisbury and they’ve made a big deal out of that crosswalk for several years. But I took the time to read the piece, and added to your subscriber list despite the fact you and I are certainly political opposites. It was a well-written perspective from the pro-rainbow point of view. I'm not really for a rainbow crosswalk but if you want to make the maximum amount of people happy perhaps there's merit in my idea about the verses from Genesis.
I'm not sure what I can add to your article, though. To me, there's really no point in a follow up until either the crosswalk is painted over or Mayor Taylor relents. If I were to lay odds I would say it's a 60-40 chance he'll cave.
You certainly describe an interesting federal dynamic, if they tried it I don’t think it would be something openly announced though nor too successful.
Thanks for reading and subscribing. From my perspective, this isn’t about making everyone happy. It is about signaling that a community is open and safe for all, especially when LGBTQ+ people still face real threats to their safety. I always value hearing from the Salisbury diaspora and those who see things differently. We will keep the dialogue open, and if there is ever something you think could help people better understand different views, feel free to reach out.
Thanks for the update Michael. Looks like the "rainbow madness" is wearing off!