A rainbow crosswalk in Columbus, Ohio, that was part of a federal road safety study has been vandalized. The defacement comes at a time when the current presidential administration has claimed that rainbow crosswalks contribute to motor vehicle crashes, even though a recent study says such crosswalks may actually decrease roadway accidents.On August 25, a Reddit social media post and calls to 311 (a non-emergency line for city services) reported that someone had splashed black paint across a rainbow-striped crosswalk in Columbus University District, The Columbus Dispatch reported. The vandal (or vandals) spattered black in each of the crosswalks individually colored panels. Related DeSantis administration paints over crosswalk a second time after protestors restored the rainbow But unlike other rainbow crosswalks in the nation, this one wasnt installed in support of the local LGBTQ+ community. Instead, the crosswalk was part of a national study by the Federal Highway Administration to evaluate the safety of crosswalk markings that differ from federal rules, said Randy Borntrager, deputy director of the Columbus Department of Public Service.Two local intersections were painted with rainbows for the study, another intersection had a brick pattern, and two others had linear crosswalk markings in white paint. Whether the city keeps its rainbow crosswalks depends partly on the studys results, Borntrager said. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Three other regions in the U.S. are also involved in the study: Raleigh, North Carolina; Austin, Texas; and Washington, D.C.In July, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged governors to remove any political messages, artwork, and markings on intersections not directly related to pedestrian or driver safety. He wrote on social media, Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks.Republican officials claim the crosswalks distract drivers, but data says otherwise. TheBloomberg Philanthropies 2022 Asphalt Art Safety Studyfound that crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists drop 50% at painted intersections.It also reported a 25% decrease in conflicts between drivers and pedestrians, a 27% increase in drivers immediately yielding to pedestrians, and a 38% decrease in pedestrians crossing when the walk signal was not lit at intersections involving public art. The data also revealed that injuries resulting from crashes drop 37% in painted intersections. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.