Have You Spotted Any Rainbow Crosswalks?

A remarkable aspect of this low budget project was the cost to Key West: $0. Ever heard of crosswalk construction paid by the private sector? Half the bill was paid by Key West Business Guild, the other half by individuals.

"We had several folks that came forward that wanted to show their support of the project and made donations either to the city of Key West or the KWBG to help cover the costs," KWBG Executive Director Matt Hon said.

Should you find yourself in the area next month, "(t)hey'll officially be unveiled June 10 at the start of Key West Pride, which runs through June 14," writes Anthony Cave of KeysInfoNet. Look for them at Duval and Petronia streets.

For those in public works, unlike the painted crosswalks in San Francisco's Castro District, they are "using color thermoplastic for this rainbow design," according to Parking Director John Wilkins. As the image shows, the striping is entirely different than The Castro's.

"Other cities with them include Austin, Texas, Philadelphia and Hollywood, Calif," writes Cave. "The Sacramento, Calif., government has OK'd similar crosswalks in that city."

Hat tips to Jennifer Scholtes and Heather Caygle of Politico Morning Transportation, May 26.