Salisbury Rainbow Crosswalks to be Repaved, Mayor Announces
SALISBURY, Md. – The Rainbow Crosswalks next to the Wicomico County Public Library are officially set to be paved over as part of the upcoming milling and repaving of Market Street, said Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor in a letter issued Friday.
“Since taking office, I’ve been transparent about my concerns regarding the Pride crosswalks installed in Downtown Salisbury. While I have made every effort to respect the decisions of previous administrations and the folks that supported them, it has become clear that a course correction – as planned- is necessary to align with current Department of Transportation standards for roadway markings,” said Mayor Taylor.
The crosswalks have been a major point of contention between the Mayor and LGBTQ+ advocates in the community. In May, the city announced plans to redesign the crosswalks by allowing residents to submit art proposals.
“I’ve been very transparent about it. It’s got nothing to do with how I feel about the LGBT community – it’s got to do with me doing my job as the mayor of Salisbury,” Taylor said.
The crosswalks were installed and funded by members of Salisbury PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). Executive Director Mark DeLancey says the removal is heartbreaking for the community.
“There’s no other words to describe it other than we’re losing a part of what creates not just our identity, but the stories and the building of self-esteem and unity behind those colors and those concepts,” DeLancey said.
Mayor Taylor had proposed a program to replace the crosswalks with artwork made by the community, but he says that some submissions were unacceptable, and that others had the same messaging as the original crosswalks.
“I think it was really not taken that seriously. The ones that were even marginally submittable were the same sort of messaging, but a little lighter version of it. We were looking for something a little more mainstream. ” Taylor said.
“A rotating art program was proposed to reflect the character, history, and artistic vibrancy of Salisbury without aligning with any political or ideological movement,” Taylor wrote in his statement published on Friday. “Unfortunately, that effort did not achieve the broad participation we had hoped for. As a result, repainting the crosswalks with a neutral design will ensure compliance with both Federal guidelines and our commitment to maintaining neutrality in public spaces in compliance with both the Supreme Court ruling and prevailing Department of Transportation marking standards.”
DeLancey says he’s not writing off the possibility of repainting the crosswalks in the future.
“It’s a crosswalk to him that he just wants to paint over, and its livelihood and symbolic to us,” DeLancey said. “If people can’t have conversations with each other to meet in the middle, and just bulldoze over a crosswalk because they feel that it’s somehow insulting them in some way, then that speaks a lot to the environment of this community at this point.”
Roadwork in accordance with the repaving is scheduled to begin on Monday, Nov. 10. Paving operations will continue through Veterans’ Day on Tuesday, Nov. 11, despite city buildings being closed for observance. Work is expected to conclude at the end of the week, weather permitting.
“I appreciate the passion and engagement this issue has inspired in our community. Let us continue working together to build a city that honors every voice while remaining true to the principles of fairness and inclusion,” Mayor Taylor concluded.
To see Taylor’s full statement, click here.
