Burlington Council Unanimously Approves New Signs of Support for 2SLGBTQIA+ Community

At our April 16 meeting, Burlington Council unanimously approved installing new signs of support for our 2SLGBTQIA+ community as some of our rainbow crosswalks have experienced persistent quality issues and been vandalized.New Pride-themed pole wraps, using graffiti and sticker resistant material, will be installed near the crosswalks at Fairview Street and Drury Lane; Plains Road West and Botanical Drive; and Upper Middle Road in front of M.M. Robinson High School.See the approved full motion from Council, My Take, and the associated staff report below — as well as additional background information further down this post.APPROVED MOTION:

• Direct the Director of Transportation to install rainbow themed pole wraps to the traffic poles adjacent to the crosswalks at Fairview Street and Drury Lane, Plains Road West and Botanical Drive, and Upper Middle Road in front of M.M. Robinson High School; and
• Direct the Director of Transportation to remove the three rainbow crosswalks at those three three intersections and replace them with ladder crosswalks; and
• Direct the Director of Transportation, in collaboration with Recreation, Community and Culture as well as Corporate Communications and Engagement, to seek feedback from members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community on the approach to best commemorate the community outside of the travelled portion of the roadway.

MY TAKE:We know how critically important it is to visibly signal our support to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community from Council and the City. Halton Police recently released their reports on hate-related incidences, and it showed 146 incidences and 78 reported, the single biggest group targeted is the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. We also want to make sure these visible signs of support don’t deteriorate or attract vandalism. I appreciate the flexibility and creative ways from staff to find alternative ways to show our support.

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To read the staff report and related supporting documents, please click/tap the links below:

• Staff report: TS-07-24 Rainbow Crosswalks update.pdf

BACKGROUND:This report is to provide an update and recommendations on the existing four rainbow crosswalks as well as to respond to the following staff directions:

• SD-17-21 (CPRM-04-21, June 22, 2021 Council meeting) Direct the Director of Transportation to conduct a review in 2023 on rainbow crosswalks, including additional consultation on future locations and report back to CPRM Committee no later than Q2 2023;
• SD-15-21 (CPRM-04-21, June 22, 2021 Council meeting) Refer the results of the survey entitled Rainbow Crosswalk Survey and direct the Director of Transportation to implement six (6) additional Pride (rainbow) crosswalks, using pre-established criteria, by Q4 2022, based on input from the community survey.

Currently there are four rainbow or 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) pride crosswalks in the City of Burlington located at Lakeshore Road and Burlington Avenue, Fairview Street and Drury Lane, Plains Road West and Botanical Drive, and Upper Middle Road in front of M.M. Robinson High School.The first rainbow crosswalk in the city was installed at Lakeshore Road and Burlington Avenue in May 2020, as part of a road works project. This location was installed with field reacted polymeric durable pavement markings on new asphalt. Recent inspections of the crosswalk indicate this particular durable material has held up very well with minimal wear and tear, and minor fading of the colors. This crosswalk will continue to be maintained and replaced when it reaches the end of its service life and will serve as the premier rainbow crosswalk for the City of Burlington.In 2021, staff installed three additional rainbow crosswalks at Fairview Street and Drury Lane, Plains Road West and Botanical Drive, and Upper Middle Road in front of M.M. Robinson High School. As part of the process, public consultation was conducted which included a Get Involved Burlington survey to select preferred locations from a list of predetermined locations chosen by staff, council, previous requests from residents and the Rainbow Crosswalk Project Team. The team included representation from the following organizations -- Burlington Inclusivity Advisory Committee, Halton Regional Police Services, St. Christopher’s Church, Halton District School Board, Positive Space Network and PFlag Canada, Halton.Staff used the results of the survey, as well as technical judgment to determine the three locations chosen. The crosswalks were installed in 2021 using preformed thermoplastic pavement markings which was a different product used on Lakeshore Road. The average installation cost of each crosswalk was $9,000.In the spring of 2022, staff conducted several inspections of the crosswalks which was a result of feedback from both staff and the public. The inspections revealed that all three crosswalks experienced significant issues with the bonding of the material. Additionally, to date, there have been several instances of vandalism from spray paint and tire marks which staff responded to. Furthermore, staff continue to receive concerns and complaints from the public due to the poor condition of the crosswalks, which were difficult to address in a prompt manner due to the application method of the pavement marking material.Repeated warranty repairs were undertaken in 2022 and 2023 by the contractor to attempt to address the issues along with third party guidance from the manufacturer of the pavement marking material. The scope of the warranty work included spot repairs and replacements of portions of the crosswalks. Upon inspection, staff were not satisfied with the repairs as all three crosswalks continued to fail. After multiple failed attempts to remedy the situation, the contractor has since been restricted from conducting pavement marking work for the City of Burlington for a period of three years as per procurement by-law 04-2022.Staff recommend the removal of the three crosswalks (Fairview Street and Drury Lane, Plains Road West and Botanical Drive, and Upper Middle Road in front of M.M. Robinson High School) due to persistent quality issues and recommend replacement with standard ladder crosswalks. Additionally, to commemorate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, it is recommended that traffic poles adjacent to the crosswalks at the three intersections be wrapped with rainbow colours using a graffiti and sticker resistant wrap (two poles at each intersection).The removal of the rainbow crosswalks, replacement with standard ladder crosswalks and the installation of rainbow traffic pole wraps is recommended to be funded from the approved Traffic Operations operating budget and Public Art Installation for Marginalized Groups capital project.