A rainbow crossing has been re-laid in Wimbledon, London (UK) to mark the 50th anniversary of Pride and to support Hate Crime Awareness Week. A new rainbow design includes more colour in the flag shape, including Black and Trans Pride. The new crossing links two pedestrian crossings and the main entrance to RAF Brize Norton. The Defence Infrastructure Organisaton is the client for the re-lay. URL https://creativecrosswalks.co.uk/

The idea of rainbow striped crossings has made the rounds for quite some time now, with one originally installed in Taylor Square, Sydney, Australia, in 2013 to celebrate Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. It was later removed in the throes of COVID-19 panic but has recently been reinstated for a limited period at least to coincide with Sydney’s Pride celebrations and Australia’s recent legalisation of same-sex marriage.

Street Art for All: The Impact of Rainbow Crossings on Urban Aesthetics

There’s also a light rail bridge in Tempe Town, Arizona (USA) that displays a dazzling display of rainbow colours every time a tram passes over it. It seems a little more imaginative than the rainbows that have been applied to bus liveries half a world away in Angers, France, on the city’s tram system; the coloured stripes seem haphazardly plopped on, with no consideration for how well they fit onto the vehicles or relate to the operator logo.

As cities experiment with more creative crosswalk designs, the Access Association has urged a return to safer traditional black-and-white zebra stripes. They argue that colourful markings within a pedestrian crossing can confuse the eyes of disabled people, older people and children and may also exacerbate hallucinatory conditions such as psychosis.