The crosswalk at the corner of 7th and Gold streets has been the topic of recent discussions in Juneau city news and public works offices. KTOO recently published an article quoting Ed Foster, the city’s superintendent of streets. Ed explains, “The manual for uniform traffic control devices doesn’t give us an option. Crosswalk lines are to be white. It’s in bold in the regulation … They have to be white and that’s based on studies that they’ve done to determine that the white is more visible than any other color. So they have to be white.”
I am supportive of LGBT pride, and I believe that extra color on the streets of our fair city should be welcome. However, the painters need not decrease public safety in their attempts to color our lives. I recommend that we allow this crosswalk to be painted rainbow colors, between the white lines. This type of crosswalk already exists in other places, like Northampton, Massachusetts. Why be a vandal, when you can be an artist?
Elizabeth Figus,
Juneau