Salisbury will pave over its rainbow-colored Pride crosswalks as part of a downtown improvement project, a move the city’s mayor says is necessary to comply with state and federal transportation standards but one that has sparked disappointment among LGBTQ+ advocates.
The project will repave Market Street from Main Street to South Division Street near City Headquarters and the Wicomico County Public Library. As part of the work, the city will replace the crosswalks with a neutral design.
Mayor Randy Taylor announced the move in a statement late Friday, saying that the decision aligns with U.S. Department of Transportation marking standards and a Supreme Court ruling on neutrality in public spaces.
“Since taking office, I’ve been transparent about my concerns regarding the Pride crosswalks installed in Downtown Salisbury,” Taylor said. “While I have made every effort to respect the decisions of previous administrations, it has become clear that a course correction is necessary.”
Taylor added that the city earlier this year proposed a rotating art program to celebrate Salisbury’s character and history, but it did not “achieve the broad participation” for which officials had hoped. To date, the city has not shown any of the proposals to the public.
Part of larger effort
Taylor said the repaving comes as part of a broader infrastructure effort that brings Salisbury closer to finishing the Urban Greenway Project. The project, originally scheduled to be finished in 2021, aims at connecting key thoroughfares for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. City officials said no road closures are expected with the repaving, and flaggers will assist with traffic control.
Shore Pride Alliance (PFLAG), which helped install and fund the original crosswalks, said in a statement it was “proud to have installed Maryland’s first rainbow, trans pride, and progress pride crosswalks” and “appreciated our time as stewards and financial sponsors” of the project.
The original Salisbury Pride crosswalk was installed in 2018 by PFLAG volunteers, the first “rainbow crosswalk” in Maryland. A rainbow crosswalk is exactly what it sounds like: a pedestrian crossing painted with rainbow-colored stripes with the goal of celebrating diversity and LGBTQ+ pride.
In 2021, two new sections were added to the intersection, creating the state’s first progress pride and trans pride crosswalks. The crosswalks, over time, have even generated their own #SBYPFLAG hashtag on Instagram and Twitter, now X.
No more options
Shore Pride Alliance said it had “exhausted every relationship” with the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, the Office of Civil Rights, and other agencies in an attempt to preserve the crosswalks, but that “the final decision came down to the Mayor of the City of Salisbury, who strongly believes that the crosswalk is divisive.”
“Please know that we appreciate the support that we have received from members of the Salisbury City Council, the general public, and the Maryland Commission for LGBTQIA+ Affairs,” the Alliance said. “We are confident that in the end, love always wins and that the spirit of our crosswalk and its history will persist.”
Taylor, meanwhile, thanked residents for their engagement and emphasized his goal of maintaining fairness and inclusion in public spaces.
“Let us continue working together to build a city that honors every voice while remaining true to the principles of fairness and inclusion,” Taylor said.
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