HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Authorizing Funds from the Road Use Tax Fund to Finance the Inclusive Crosswalk in Campustown RESOLUTION NO. 21-500
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FUNDS FROM THE ROAD USE TAX FUND TO
FINANCE THE INCLUSIVE CROSSWALK IN CAMPUSTOWN
FOR THE CITY OF AMES,IOWA
WHEREAS, on August 24, 2021, the City Council directed staff to develop a plan for an
inclusive crosswalk at the intersection of Welch Avenue and Chamberlain Street in Campustown and
further directed the ex officio City Council Liaison to obtain student involvement in the project;and,
WHEREAS,a similar inclusive crosswalk design was installed at the intersection of 5t'Street
and Douglas Avenue in 2019 and repainted in August 2021; and,
WHEREAS,the design consists of two-foot by six-foot bars mimicking the"International"
crosswalk pattern,but installed in various color patterns,rather than white, and the colored bars are
placed within the two parallel six-inch solid white lines that serve as the official crosswalk marking
for the intersection, per the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; and,
WHEREAS, the concept for the installation Downtown was brought to the City's attention
by the ISU Vice-President for Diversity and Inclusion after observing a similar installation at State
College, Pennsylvania; and,
WHEREAS,the patterns used represent variations of LGBTQ Pride Flag colors in a symbol
of the City Council's commitment to diversity and inclusion; and,
WHEREAS,two of the crossings use the Pride Flag colors plus brown and black to represent
racial minorities, one crossing uses blue,pink, and white in a variation of the transgender flag, and
the fourth crossing uses white,purple,black, and yellow to represent nonbinary individuals; and,
WHEREAS, as with the Downtown installation, staff would intend to use a high-quality
household latex paint, rather than the standard traffic paint, and this is primarily due to the lack of
availability of traffic paint in the required colors; and,
WHEREAS, the drawback to the use of this paint is that it requires a significantly longer
drying time as the household paint requires approximately 24 hours to fully cure and protect it from
being peeled up by hot vehicle tires driving over it; and,
WHEREAS,the installation must occur on a warm,sunny day with no precipitation to be the
most effective; and,
WHEREAS,this intersection experiences significantly more foot traffic,vehicle,and transit
buses than the Downtown intersection,making closing the intersection for 24 hours more disruptive,
and there is also a greater risk of damage to the paint in the overnight hours while the intersection
is unattended; and,
WHEREAS,given the closing window for optimal weather this season,and the need for the
paint to cure with minimal disruption overnight, staff recommended the installation be planned for
May 2022 after ISU's spring semester ends; and,
WHEREAS, staff estimates that a team of two to four City staff paired with eight to ten
volunteers could tape the outlines in approximately three hours,and up to 15 volunteers could paint
the bars and clean up the site in approximately two hours; and,
WHEREAS, City staff estimates the cost for the paint and the consumable supplies for this
project to be less than $1,500, and in addition, staff time will be required to organize the logistics,
prepare the pavement,supervise the volunteer work,and complete the final clean-up required to open
the intersection; and,
WHEREAS, staff recommended the funding for the paint and supplies come from the Road
Use Tax Fund, which was the source used to install the original crosswalk Downtown.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa,
that approve of the funds to finance the Inclusive Crosswalk in Campustown from the Road Use Tax
Fund is hereby approved.
ADOPTED THIS 14`'' day of September, 2021.
Diane R. Voss, City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor
Introduced by: Corrieri
Seconded by: Betcher
Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Gartin, Junck, Martin
Voting nay: None Absent: None
Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this 14t'day of September, 2021.