WeHo community members were discussing the Rainbow Crosswalks on Facebook after a photo of the re-imagined landmarks looking less than brand new was posted Tuesday.
“Well this is sad looking and it’s not even a week old!” Brian McNutt captioned his photo.
“It looked a lot better before when it was just a solid Rainbow!!! 🌈 What a complete waste of money….” wrote Leo Omri Greenberg.
“Typical West Hollywood, does not learn from past mistakes,” wrote Cathy Blaivas. “Sorry to say but, reminiscent of the first rainbow cross walk.”
Plans to revise the Rainbow Crosswalks were born in various city commissions last year and were brought to completion last week. The new colors are derived from the Progress Flag, which represents transgender people and people of color in addition to LGBTQ people.
“Haste makes waste,” wrote James Ward Litz. “It could have used a bit more planning before implementation.”
“If only there were a maintenance/cleaning plan for the crosswalks!” wrote Mark Gamarra.
“yes, there is a weekly cleaning plan for these,” wrote Jake Mason, vice chairperson of the Public Facilities Commission. “(It was bi-weekly before but with the white/pink colors it will need to be weekly).”
Some commenters noted the dizzying effect that the triangular shapes create for drivers.
Others didn’t see what all the fuss was about.
“Once it rains it’ll wash the dirt away! It’s just dirty! RELAX and stop being so negative! It looks fabulous!” wrote Zachary Rodriquez.
James Mason added this comment after publication:
Yes there is a maintenance plan and yes the public can get information on that cleaning and maintenance plan by contacting the city.
Yes the city is aware that an intersection that has 33k cars pass over it daily will get dirty.
Yes it will be a non stop battle against dirt and grime, just like everything else everywhere.
Yes there are significantly better things to focus on that need help in our city and YES YOU can volunteer and get involved if you’re really passionate about our city and it’s appearance.
No, no art in any crosswalk will stay pristine
Yes it is important for ALL our community to feel seen, even if the message gets dirty and needs to be cleaned.
Speaking for myself and not on behalf of the city of West Hollywood
It’s perfect! WeHo’s a dirty little city hiding lots of dirty little secrets and crimes, so the oil-and-rubber besmirched “artwork” fits it to a tee!
“Whadda dump…”
Well, if the city is low on funds possibly no rainbow cross walk. There was NO rainbow cross for a VERY long time before there was one and West Hollywood’s Boystown thrived believe me. Year before the city took over Halloween in West Hollywood it was a major event without the city. They simply capitalized on the fun times the gay community created very organically. In my opinion it was better but there are Pro’s & con’s on that topic. Point being rainbow cross walks are a relatively new concept for like gay pride but if the $$$ are tight… Read more »
Complete waste of money. Why do these activists just seem like party pooper. Not saying all are, but gays don’t go around asking redesigning BLM or planned parenthood logo with rainbow colors. Why do these whiny activists can’t seem to let people have fun. it’s always victimhood with a small group of people yet the loudest…
The Miss Grundys who whine about the revamped crosswalks are the same people who complain about everything week after week so it’s a little hard to take them seriously. Perhaps those people should be relieved there’s not a unisex public toilet anywhere in the intersection. Adding the chevrons to the crosswalks actually detracts from the rainbow flag concept, which was all-inclusive from the start, if only because the addition is in conflict with the color scheme; how the chevrons will distract drivers has yet to be sensibly explained. Black and white, according to art scholars, are not “colors”; pastel blue… Read more »
What’s that notorious line: “You can’t fix stupid.”
The “new version” is NOT as impressive as the original. WAY over priced. Not sure who awarded the contract, but I bet it was to someone they knew!
No one seems to be bothered by the fact that adding colors to the rainbow doesn’t include more people, quite the contrary. The rainbow represents everyone precisely because none of the colors represents a specific group. By adding specific groups, all other groups are excluded. Nothing against the groups that were added, but where’s the color for seniors, for deaf people, for otherwise less-abled people? Maybe they didn’t send enough people to the meeting that decided to do this? Bring back the rainbow. It represents everybody, pure and simple.
Indeed!
I’d much rather see money go toward a painted crosswalk at that busy intersection than critical left-turn arrows for north and southbound traffic. Who the hell extrapolated the data from the feasibility study and recommended left-turn arrows for east and westbound SMB? Idiots.
Anyone who hasn’t figured out that the widened lane to the left at an intersection indicates “left turn only” doesn’t need a feasibility study. He needs to return to high school driver’s ed class.
I’m SO glad I pulled my tax dollars out of WEHO. What a pathetic and enormous waste of money this is.
“Once it rains?” Hahaha. Yeah, of course a busy intersection will get dirty. But a design with so much White was an obviously bad idea. One week in and the predominant impression of the new crosswalk is Filthy. Not colorful. Not trans-affirming. Not inclusiveness. Just Filth.
Filthy like our Councilmembers.
I think we need to embrace the trans community more, but there are better ways to do it. This crosswalk is ridiculous. It’s impractical to maintain, and any maintenance plan involves too much water. MOST importantly, guess who will be cleaning this crosswalk? It will be people of color who are laborers for the city. People who aren’t privileged enough to live here. While James Mason is hanging at the bars drinking a cocktail, the laborers will be at their humble homes, resting up for another day of cleaning up someone else’s mess.
Last night some visitors from out of town said – looking at the new crosswalks: “It’s now just a big ugly jumble without meaning, just trying too hard to be something and throwing whatever is hip at the moment at it instead of thinking.” Crowds were looking at the steam cleaning being done and how it is unable to get any of the grounded in muck out of the crosswalks.
Yes, “It’s now just a big ugly jumble…” Like the pathetic dregs that put it in … the SHE – Shyne, Horvath and Erickson!
I guess that Mayor Meister and D’Amico are massive hypocrites, then? “It’s exciting to see the new pride crosswalks being installed,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister. “West Hollywood is a city that welcomes all. My hope is that the crosswalks convey that message and a message of inclusiveness. Let us not forget that a rainbow is not just six colors or 10 colors – if it truly represents our community, then it is an infinite number of colors.” “It’s so great to see this newly painted crosswalk,” said Councilmember John D’Amico. “It’s always exciting to see how our city… Read more »
Did Helen Keller design that street atrocity? Back the ‘bow. 🌈