Key West Installs New Permanent Rainbow Crosswalks
KEY WEST (CBSMiami/FKNB) – Key West workers installed four permanent rainbow crosswalks Monday at the intersection of Duval and Petronia streets, in the heart of the island's LGBTQ entertainment district.
Spanning all four corners of the intersection, the crosswalks feature long bands of all six colors of the rainbow flag, an internationally recognized symbol of LGBTQ unity.
Spearheaded by the city and the Key West Business Guild, the crosswalks are composed of pre-formed thermoplastic color stripes. After the stripes were laid on the street by city workers, they were heat-treated with propane torches to affix the colors permanently on the pavement.
"The rainbow crosswalks, to us in the City of Key West, mean that everybody is welcome, everybody is equal, everybody is recognized and, once again, that we do really abide by the 'One Human Family' spirit," said Key West Mayor Teri Johnston. "Everybody is a part of Key West."
"One Human Family" was adopted as the city's official philosophy in 2000, proclaiming equality and acceptance for all. Key West is internationally known for its heritage of diversity and its reputation as a leading LGBTQ vacation destination.
The crosswalks' installation was the final step in a project to repave and restripe Key West's historic Duval Street from the 100 block to Truman Avenue.
Rainbow crosswalks were originally installed on Duval in 2015, quickly becoming a city landmark and popular photo stop. Their replacement, necessitated by the repaving project, also allowed for a redesign that makes the rainbow colors stand out more vividly against the asphalt.
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