Trial rainbow crosswalk to appear Downtown during Pride festival and parade

For the past few years, Downtown Partnership has researched and advocated for limited and thoughtful use of embellished creative crosswalks. When done in alignment with federal safety standards and partnership with the City, creative crosswalks can enhance the environment with whimsy and charm, adding to the cultural vibrancy of a neighborhood.

Executed with materials approved by NACTO, the National Association of City Transportation Officials, Downtown Partnership worked with Colorado Springs PrideFest, various departments within the City of Colorado Springs and local vendor Creative Consortium to jointly launch a trial creative crosswalk. The temporary creative crosswalk features a rainbow design, and will be located along the Pride parade route, at Colorado Avenue and Tejon Street in Downtown Colorado Springs.

• What: Rainbow creative crosswalk
• Where: Across Tejon Street at Colorado Avenue
• When: July 12 to July 15, 2019; installation/deinstallation will take place early in the morning on both days
• How: Use of NACTO approved AlumiGraphics material, a reflective, textured, anti-skid vinyl  applied on top of the street surface. The location, design and materials were vetted and approved by City of Colorado Springs’ Traffic Engineering Department.
• Why: With renewed interest in creative crosswalks within the city, Colorado Springs Pride, Downtown Partnership and the City of Colorado Springs seized an opportunity to test the concept.

Here are some answers to the most COMMON questions

Why is the crosswalk temporary?

To meet national safety standards, AlumiGraphics must be removed from roadways once they begin to show wear, which is typically in two to four weeks. Although this beta test is shorter than that period, it will still provide valuable information about the installation, deinstallation and durability of the material.

Who paid for this?

The crosswalk was produced with in-kind support from Downtown business and PrideFest sponsor, Creative Consortium. Additional funds were contributed by PrideFest and Downtown Ventures, the charitable nonprofit arm of Downtown Partnership. No taxpayer dollars were used.

Why is it Downtown and not somewhere else?

Downtown Partnership was approached directly by the City and PrideFest representatives, who desired the crosswalk to occur along the route of Pride Parade, which takes place Downtown. Further, Downtown Partnership already has been researching and advocating for creative crosswalks for several years, following trends and city policies across the country. Because the Partnership has a track record of more than 20 years of integrating art into public spaces, and because we already had researched the safe method for such crosswalks, we were able to meet the project goals in a rapid manner.

What is the standard for crosswalks?

Embellishments in roadways must be executed in materials approved by NACTO, the National Association of City Transportation Officials. Such materials include AlumiGraphics®, transportation-grade paint, or thermoplastic. The AlumiGraphics being used in this application provide a reflective, nonslip surface. “Crosswalks and other traffic markings are highly technical and have certain requirements that impact public safety on our roads,” said Todd Frisbie, the city’s traffic engineer. “That said, with very close study of safety standards, we felt this application could offer a potential way forward.” Additionally, the design does not cover or impede the white reflective bars of the crosswalk.

What’s next?

Downtown Partnership will continue to work with the Traffic Engineering Division of  Public Works to investigate the potential for permanent creative crosswalks in the future. Downtown Partnership’s nonprofit arm, Downtown Ventures, will work on the project alongside their established public art programs such as Art on the Streets, InterSection traffic signal cabinet art, and ArtSpot. No taxpayer dollars will be used.

Read the full PRESS RELEASE.