ORLANDO | The mass shooting at Pulse in downtown Orlando June 12, 2016 claimed the lives of 49 innocent citizens. Now a petition circulating online looks to turn an intersection near the nightclub into a spectrum of hope and remembrance.
The petition on the website Change.org calls for the city of Orlando to install a rainbow crosswalk at the intersection of South Orange Avenue and Kaley Street “to honor both the memory of the victims and the struggle of the survivors.” The S. Orange/Kaley intersection is the closest major intersection where Pulse is located.
The petition states that the S. Orange/Kaley intersection “has become a crossroad to the world with thousands of visitors from around the globe continuing to visit the Pulse memorial site to pay their respects.”
Crosswalks in support of the LGBTQ community have been proposed and installed in major cities across the world. In Atlanta, Mayor Kasim Reed announced on the first-year mark of the Pulse massacre that they would install their own rainbow crosswalks as a way to “reaffirm our unwavering and unqualified support for our LGBTQ residents,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Along with rainbow crosswalks, support for the community in Orlando was demonstrated after the Pulse tragedy through displays of the rainbow colors on world moments including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Seattle’s Space Needle, Tel Aviv City Hall and more.
Watermark reached out to the office of Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, one of the public officials the petition is planned to be sent to, and received a statement from press secretary Cassandra Lafser.
“This is something we are looking into and researching in general regarding possible color/art treatments in crosswalks,” the statement reads. “This also involves discussion and involvement with FDOT (Florida Department Of Transportation) as they have ultimate authority over crosswalk markings through the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) per state statute. Part of this evaluation involves ensuring safety and visibility and researching things like possible treatments, maintenance and costs. ”
District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan says a plan that meets FDOT guidelines was drafted and is being submitted for consideration. The crosswalk would be rainbow in color and surrounded by white stripes; however, the process could take a while, based on past submittals.
“I think it should be a nice touch. Especially since I spent so much time in that intersection myself on June 12,” Sheehan says.
The petition exceeded its original 2,500 signature goal and now sets out to reach 5,000 signatures.
According to the website post, the petition was sent to Dyer, Sheehan and City of Orlando Transportation Planning Manager Claudia Korobkoff once the original goal of 2,500 signatures was reached.
