“We can have the Gainesville Rainbow Utilities and the Rainbow Transit System”: Gainesville City Commission discusses potential appeal of removal of rainbow crosswalks
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At the end of the afternoon session of the August 21 Gainesville City Commission meeting, the City indicated that they may appeal the removal of their rainbow crosswalks; under pressure from the state and federal governments, the Commission voted two weeks ago to remove them.
Special Advisor for Infrastructure Brian Singleton told the Commission that he had just gotten off the phone with Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Secretary Greg Evans, who said FDOT would be sending a letter describing an administrative appeal process. Singleton said, “He didn’t have any specifics to share with me at this time, but that will be outlined in the letter, about what our options might be and what kind of flexibility there may be.” He said he expected the letter by the end of the week.
Mayor Harvey Ward asked how that related to “the news that I just read about the City of Orlando, where the Pulse crosswalks, very significant memorials, were painted over overnight by FDOT. Do we feel like we have assurance that that’s not going to happen under cover of night before any appeals process? I’m sorry, I just find that kind of jarring.”
Singleton said he believed the roadways in Orlando were State roads: “Generally, the State does not come onto local roadways and perform those types of actions.”
Ward responded, “I just would hate to see us pause in our efforts to find a solution to moving those, as we agreed to do. We have done what FDOT made clear they wanted us to do, and I would hate to see us think there’a pause opportunity to ask questions and then come to work one morning and find out they’re not there anymore. So I’m in a quandary about this.”
Commissioner James Ingle said, “I just don’t know how you can sleep at night after painting over a Pulse memorial — that is abhorrent to me. I cannot believe somebody would pull the trigger on having their people do things like this.”
Ingle continued, “Unfortunately, I was not here last week, and I’ll be gone next week, as well. But we’ve got to do something, whether it’s a memorial or whatever — I don’t care if we rename every department with an ‘R’ in it to ‘Rainbow.’ So we can have the Gainesville Rainbow Utilities and the Rainbow Transit System — I don’t know if we change it to Rainbow Diddley Plaza, I don’t know what we do, but I think we’ve got to have some pushback on this and it’s visible, so that the people here in Gainesville understand that their representation is not going away because this is pulled up. I’m sorry I wasn’t here last week to be able to speak out more forcefully about that, but it is embarrassing to me that I live in the state that’s decided to make these decisions.”
Ward said City staff will work with the Pride Community Center to come up with ideas for replacement installations and will bring those back to the City Commission in October.
City and county government refuses to acknowledge legitimate concerns about our unkept roads. Yet when a gay pride rainbow crosswalk is threatened they put all boots on deck and go full blown drama queen.
There is absolutely nothing legitimate about these commissioners. They care about fringe political points, not about properly running a municipality.
Slice, the “fringe political point” making was started by our statist politicians in Tally. Leaving the crosswalks alone is the cheapist option.
Jazzman….all crosswalks look identical for a reason. You act like gay pride rainbow crosswalks are being targeted. You do not acknowledge that those three are the only anomalies in our area. People aren’t trying to erase gay people…but gay people and our local governments need to realize that they aren’t entitled to a fruity crosswalk just because. If you want a memorial then build one. Stop acting like entitled ¢unts
Slice:
1. I read and then copied here the FDOT rules on crosswalks, and commented on the fact that it’s reference to federal guidelines led down multiple rabbit holes without any rules that these crosswalks could be claimed were in violation of. They need to be clearly visible, and that these are.
2. Yes, preferential treatment that is lasting should not be allowed – seasonal or special day acknowledgement of specific groups among us or those placed in appropriate historic locations I believe are allowed and not offensive. However, the Rainbow represents all of us and celebrates the diversity which has always been our strength and promise as America. No other powerful country has this characteristic which even Reagan celebrated.
“Since this is the last speech that I will give as President, I think it’s fitting to leave one final thought, an observation about a country which I love. It was stated best in a letter I received not long ago. A man wrote me and said:
“You can go to live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American.”
Yes, the torch of Lady Liberty symbolizes our freedom and represents our heritage, the compact with our parents, our grandparents, and our ancestors. It is that lady who gives us our great and special place in the world. For it’s the great life force of each generation of new Americans that guarantees that America’s triumph shall continue unsurpassed into the next century and beyond. Other countries may seek to compete with us; but in one vital area, as a beacon of freedom and opportunity that draws the people of the world, no country on earth comes close.
This, I believe, is one of the most important sources of America’s greatness. We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people — our strength — from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so we continuously renew and enrich our nation.
While other countries cling to the stale past, here in America we breathe life into dreams. We create the future, and the world follows us into tomorrow. Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.”
Maybe clean up the language Slice? Kids could be on this.
Dear God, Jazz, how does that rainbow represent me? Why not silver crosswalks? Shiny and pretty for old people? Boy oh boy, I would like to pay more government money for that.
You’re wrong:
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) adheres to the
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) as the standard for crosswalk designations. This national standard dictates the specifications for traffic control devices, including crosswalks.
Here are the key points regarding crosswalk designations in Florida:
Marked Crosswalks: These are identifiable by painted lines or other markings on the road surface, indicating areas for pedestrians to cross.
Markings should be solid white lines, minimum 6 inches, and ideally 12 inches wide (local jurisdictions should follow the 12-inch minimum).
For increased visibility, the crosswalk area may be marked with white diagonal lines (45 degrees) or white longitudinal lines (parallel to traffic flow).
Yellow crosswalks are reserved for school zones.
Well said, Slice…and Power to the VJJs!!!
Jazzman- do you have the same outrage from the state telling the city to remove the unlawful green bicycle markings too? Why isn’t there a big outcry about that too?…why only about the gay rainbow crosswalks?
Does the local gay lobby pay and participate more than the local cyclist lobby?
Y’all are being hypocrites and playing convenient politics.
Slice, I don’t know this issue, though I am a bicylist and in the past served on an advisory committee to the county that discussed bicycle lanes.
Somehow I don’t think “pay” comes into these decisions, unless it is in meeting guidelines to be eligible for grants.
PS No mouse in my pocket, just me, so no “Y’all” necessary.
If you want to play dumb then okay… here’s the link:
https://alachuachronicle.com/under-pressure-from-feds-and-the-state-gainesville-city-commission-votes-to-remove-rainbow-crosswalks/
It is also linked in the article above.
The gay crosswalks and the green bike logos were both deemed unlawful during the same state audit. You can’t just willy-nilly paint crap on roads and scream fascism when you’re told to remove it
Slice, if you or anyone can show where either the crosswalks or bicycle lane markings are non-compliant with FDOT or federal DOT regs than they should be removed, and I don’t mean some political shenanigans which the state DOP specializes in. Can you show us that for either type? As I noted above, I read and posted here the FDOT rules and there were none that the crosswalks violated. I didn’t look up the bike lanes rules – too lazy – and the crosswalk link was posted here by someone else.
Obstinate f****try.
You’d obviously be happier some place else Todd. Try Iran.
Trigger your sore spot?
We didn’t pay taxes for the city commission to push an ideology. We paid them to do their jobs.
Jake their job is to represent the voters wherever that takes them legally.
It’s been so long since you’ve had a job, I don’t think you get what having one means.
If they added leprechauns I’d be cool with it.
Here Ingle…🌈🌈🌈🌈.
Didn’t waste any funds either. You and your cohorts wouldn’t understand that would you?
Nice to see you’re making the most of our taxpayers’ funded salary though.
Leaving the highly visible rainbow crosswalks is the least expensive option.
Putting them there was an expense not needed.
I’m sure there’s enough support in the community to go make a 🌈 out of the 34th St wall.
Not everything elected governments do are “needed”, or we wouldn’t have statues, memorials, flags, or anything but metal buildings.
Nor thousand dollar trash cans, panhandlers almost everywhere, trash strewn everywhere the homeless have decided to take up lodging,…
That’s what the locally elected leaders have brought us and I don’t believe the public had the opportunity to vote on those.
Sure you voted. We all know that homeless people are only a problem in Gainesville.
Like I said…
You can read but just in case that temporary blindness overcame you…No one except the City Commissioners voted for thousand dollar trash cans and aside from throwing money at Grace the Disgrace Marketplace, the only place they’ve kept the homeless from is City Hall.
As a child, I learned a rainbow was a sign of God’s promise. I’ve always loved rainbows & I’m NOT GAY, but I love GAY people.
What was that promise?
Inquiring minds would like to know.
God’s promise was never to destroy the whole earth by flood again. That’s what rainbows remind me of as well.
👏🏼
As well? The former is what it should remind us of, not the perversions permeating society.
Indeed, missionary position while fully clothed is God’s way.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you have a son?
When he was born, did you hold him and cuddle him and have all kinds of hopes for him in his future?
Did it include having another man’s anatomy stuck where bodily waste come out?
I’m pretty sure that wasn’t God’s hope for him.
👎🏻🤮🤢 I find the rainbow stuff offensive.
Why does Gainesville have to be so gay ALL the time? Remember when people were just gay and that was it? Just 2 dudes or girls no weird genders and no one was shoving it down your throat for recognition and no one cared. Everyone minded their own business. We don’t care that you’re gay!
It is sad that the Democrat politicians in Alachua County and Gainesville have more concern for abnormal sex, homeless bums and illegal aliens (the legal term in federal law) than the citizens and legal residents who actually are their constituents.
Should we also have a confederate flag crosswalk? Asking for a friend….
Meanwhile…..while the piss and moan about their silly rainbows, the roads still suck, homelessness, crime, and our utilities and property taxes are among the highest in the state.
So silly. Silly is the right word. Argue over sexuality and old people are mugged and our children can’t read. Keep your private life private. No one cares what you do if it is legal.
In the words of Susan Powter, “Stop the madness!” No more pandering to the emotional needs of those who want inclusiveness but also want to remain separately acknowledged.
Since when did we get a “Special Advisor for Infrastructure”? And, wtf is that? Oh, ya, another waste of our money…..
highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/std-drawings/E634-06.pdf
Why do they obsess so much over what people do in their bedrooms? Didn’t they say it’s a “privacy” matter before?
I prefer the yellow brick road.