'No-one has a positive comment' about rainbow crossing

THERE have been complaints and confusion over plans for a rainbow crossing in Lismore's CBD.

RAINBOW CROSSING: Lismore Council has again postponed the painting of the Rainbow Crossing at the Magellan St shared pedestrian zone.

A CONTROVERSIAL rainbow crossing in Lismore is causing havoc in the CBD, according to retailers.

But it's not the philosophy behind the Magellan St multi-hued crossing which is upsetting business owners - it's what one businessman said is the lack of communication from council regarding the works.

Col Baker, whose wife and daughter run the Lismore Pie Cart, said he was furious about it, saying "council have spent a lot of money and inconvenienced many businesses for a project that may not be finished".

"A lot of people come to the pie cart and its been a topic of conversation and no-one has a positive comment about the rainbow crossing," he said.

"It seems to me that council is doing their best to make it hard for businesses in the block, they should be spending money on fixing the roads, not on this airy-fairy stuff."

Mr Baker said continual confusion from council regarding the painting date and closing of the streets was impacting on businesses.

"Business owners were originally informed by council that all work would be done on Saturday afternoon and Sunday on October 27-28," he said.

"This was then postponed on Wednesday evening to the following weekend because it suited the contractor...bad luck that businesses had made arrangements with staff or decided to close, we just had to fit in with the contractor."

Mr Baker said business owners were also told via email that the street would be closed on Monday, November 19 for the painter, "apparently on a week day because the contractor, who comes from the Gold Coast, didn't work weekends, it doesn't matter apparently what suits businesses in Magellan St."

On Friday a council spokeswoman announced it had again postponed painting.

"Asphalting works were completed in early November and the rainbow walkway was scheduled for painting from 19-20 November," she said.

"Council postponed works following concerns from the Traffic Committee that is was too similar to a marked pedestrian crossing.

The Traffic Committee has now endorsed a new design (and) council will advise when installation of the new rainbow walkway is to take place."

In October 2017 council repainted a Nimbin rainbow pedestrian crossing white following several near misses between drivers and pedestrians.