Taylor Square will get a new rainbow pedestrian crossing under plans proposed by the City of Sydney council, five years after the original was deemed a safety risk and controversially ripped up.
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The first rainbow crossing was painted across Oxford Street in 2013 to mark 35 years of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. It lasted one month before it was destroyed amid community outcry.
Lord mayor Clover Moore said on Thursday that the crossing would be reinstated nearby at the corner of Bourke and Campbell streets this year in "a victory" for the LGBTIQ community.
The safer new location is at the southern end of Taylor Square in Surry Hills.
“Our beautiful Oxford Street rainbow crossing became a global sensation in 2013 and it was devastating when it was removed with no warning in the middle of the night,” she said.
“The news that it will be reinstated is incredibly significant on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on June 24 and a powerful acknowledgement of the importance of our LGBTIQ community and history."
Cr Moore will ask the council next Monday to endorse funding for the rainbow markings, at an estimated cost of $24,000.
“I am excited that we are so close to achieving the outcome we have worked so hard behind the scenes to achieve – the rainbow crossing returned as a permanent pride artwork in Sydney.”
The original rainbow crossing was trialled for one month before it was tarred over late one night at the direction of then NSW roads minister Duncan Gay. The removal cost $30,000.
Road experts supported the move, saying the crossing, on which people had been seen lying down and taking photos, breached safety guidelines.
But the council said an independent safety audit found the rainbow had not caused any accidents nor injuries.
Its removal sparked widespread outrage and prompted a flurry of impromptu rainbow flags and DIY chalk crossings across Sydney. A petition to keep the crossing attracted 16,000 signatures.
Fallout from the rainbow crossing's destruction also inflamed tensions between the council and state government, with Cr Moore criticising the removal as "mean and miserable".
Cr Moore on Thursday said current Roads Minister Melinda Pavey had been involved in plans for the new crossing.
Roads and Maritime Services will review the crossing after six months and, if considered safe, it will become a permanent fixture at the site.
Cr Moore said the crossing would also include a trial of new sensor technology to prioritise pedestrian movements and safety upgrades.
“Not only will this crossing be a colourful celebration of our LGBTQI community but it will also be a trial of new sensors to give pedestrians as much crossing time as possible.”
Residents and businesses in the area will be consulted on the proposal in August. A report will be prepared in time for the council's traffic committee meeting in September.
Work is expected to begin in October and construction is expected to take three months.
The rainbow markings are expected to be added towards the end of the project.
