Taking another shot at an Oxford St rainbow crossing

CITY of Sydney mayor hopeful Christine Forster has become the next in a long number of people who would like to see a rainbow crossing painted onto a road in Sydney.

A temporary rainbow crossing was painted onto the Oxford Street side of Taylor Square in Darlinghurst for the duration of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 2013.

In a controversial move, the NSW state government removed the crossing citing safety concerns as the reason with Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Duncan Gay saying a coloured crossing could open the possibility of other groups wanting specialised crossings.

“When you approve something in a colour, you approve a political statement and if you allow colours for one thing, you leave yourself open for many others. Well-known sporting teams may want a crossing as well – we could have red and green for the Rabbitohs, maybe,” he said in 2013.

Many believed the a permanent crossing would never be reinstalled, after costing the Sydney council $110,000, including $30,000 for its removal.

“We just paid $30,000 to remove it – I didn’t want to see it go but I can’t see them changing their mind,” Councillor Linda Scott told the Star Observer in 2013.

Forster, refuses to be swayed on the idea and has written to Minister Gay to ask him to reinstall a new rainbow crossing on the south side of Taylor Square, across the intersection between Campbell and Bourke Streets.

“I am now seeking the State Government’s support for the installation of a crossing in a new location which does not appear to raise the same issues with pedestrian safety,” she said.

The councillor suggested it would be the perfect opportunity to install a new rainbow crossing as the Sydney council is currently preparing for upgrading works at this intersection, including changing the alignment of the pedestrian and cycle crossings that connect into Taylor Square.

“The work to be undertaken at the crossing on the Campbell Street side of Taylor Square provides an opportunity for a new rainbow crossing in a much safer location. The City of Sydney’s own studies, conducted in preparation for the upcoming works, found that there were low traffic volumes along Campbell and Bourke streets, which makes it the right place for what would be a Sydney icon,” she said said.

“Taylor Square is the historical and cultural heart of Sydney’s GLBTI community. The installation of a new rainbow crossing in this low-traffic zone would further acknowledge the significance of the area to the GLBTI community and would be a great drawcard for visitors to the Oxford Street precinct, which has suffered a severe economic downturn in recent years.”