CHICAGO — Imagine a city where it's possible to walk across rainbows in the street — literally.
In places like Philadelphia, Atlanta and San Francisco, that colorful scenario is already a reality — and if an online petition is persuasive enough, Chicago could be added to the list of cities with rainbow-colored crosswalks, too.
More than 8,800 people have signed their names to support an online petition started by Kelsey Bourgeois that seeks to permanently install decorated crosswalks that depict the colors of a rainbow and the transgender pride flag, which includes light blue, light pink and white. The signature goal of 8,000 was met and extended to 9,000.
Though the "most obvious" place to add the crosswalks would be Boystown because of its history as the beating heart of the city's gay community, a Downtown or Loop location could also send a wider message as Chicago as a welcoming and inclusive city to more tourists, Bourgeois said.
"Chicago is such a great city and installing these crosswalks would be a great gesture to the LGBTQIA community," she said. "Putting them in the Loop would make for a great photo opportunity for tourists, which I think matters in how Chicago is represented to tourists."
The Chicago Department of Transportation did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the petition or likelihood of adding such a feature to the city. But some walkways, like on Sheridan Road at Loyola in Rogers Park or on Devon Avenue in West Ridge, already display decorative designs — albeit they're all white.
Online petitions for the crosswalks have been successful in other cities.
In Washington D.C., a petition helped inspire the painting of eight crosswalks, including the first to include a trans flag walkway. At more than 12,000 supporters, the petition now asks for the city to install them for good.
Atlanta installed temporary rainbow crosswalks to celebrate Pride in 2015, and after a successful petition drive with more than 22,000 signatures, the city agreed to bring them back permanently.
