As August comes to a close, city leaders across Florida have been grappling with a state order to remove or repaint hundreds of colorful pedestrian crossings, some of which commemorate tragedies or local pride.
Florida Department of Transportation workers have been spotted painting over rainbow designs, green trail crossings, and local art installations and leaving behind only stark black and white lines.
Among the first one removed, and the most controversial, was a rainbow crosswalk commemorating the 49 people killed in the 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. An FDOT crew repainted the crosswalk in the middle of the night, outraging community members who have spent the days since recreating the rainbow multiple times with chalk and paint. Each time, FDOT crews have painted it black again.
As of Aug. 29, signs have been placed at the intersection saying “Defacing Public Roadway Prohibited” and “No Impeding Traffic,” WFTV reported.
The FDOT has ordered communities across the state to remove nonstandard crosswalks and street art by Sept. 4 or see state funding withheld for noncompliance.
“I think the street art got out of hand,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press conference in Orlando Aug. 27. “I think it’s much better that we use crosswalks and streets for their intended purpose.”
Why is Florida painting over its brightly colored crosswalks?
The move comes after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a directive on July 1 for roads to be stripped of any “distractions” within 60 days.
“Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork. Today I am calling on governors in every state to ensure that roadways, intersections, and crosswalks are kept free of distractions,” Duffy said, although he provided no evidence that such crosswalks were unsafe.
The second Trump administration has made an effort to search through government documents and webpages to remove mentions of Black and female trailblazers, transgender people and any other elements it considers a relic of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Florida, whose governor has overseen the banning of LGBTQ+ flags in schools and government buildings, has been the most aggressive in complying but the state’s dislike of colorful crosswalks came before that.
In June, FDOT sent out a memo requiring all pavement surface markings to be compliant with state transportation regulations with no markings or art “that is associated with social, political, or ideologuical messages or images and does not serve the purpose of traffic control.”
“The Florida legislature passed a law that was very clear … we’re not doing the commandeering of the roads to put up messaging,” DeSantis said at the press conference. “We’ve made the policy decision in Florida that we’re not going to use the roads for that purpose.”
Some of the crosswalks feature designs honoring historically marginalized groups such as rainbows for the LGBTQ+ community and a Black History Matters mural in St. Petersburg.
But many of the approximately 400 locations targeted for change in Florida do not, including a pro-police mural in front of Tampa police headquarters, numerous green crosswalks where streets intercept trails, a racing-themed crosswalk in front of Daytona International Speedway, and even painted bike lanes outside an Orlando elementary school designed by two fourth graders who won a Florida Department of Transportation art contest.
Here is what some Florida cities are doing.
Pulse rainbow crosswalk only the start in Orlando
The most notable street art removed was the rainbow crosswalk in Orlando painted to commemorate the 49 people killed at the Pulse Nightclub in 2016, at the time the largest mass shooting in the country.
It was painted the next year, with FDOT approval, but an FDOT crew painted it white and black overnight Aug. 21 without informing the city it was doing so.
Since then, FDOT has sent the city a list of 18 more crosswalks, intersections and bike symbols that must be brought into compliance.
Boynton Beach removed its Pride crosswalk immediately
The city of Boynton Beach removed its Pride-themed crosswalk on July 17, saying it was complying with federal and state mandates and that the paint used wasn’t rated for vehicular traffic conditions anyway.
The crosswalk, there since 2021, was vandalized with tire tracks the day before.
Clearwater removing 6 street designs
Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector said they didn’t “have any choice” but to comply in repainting six locations named by the state, the Tampa Bay Times reported, including MLK Jr. Avenue and Woodlawn Street; Rainbow Drive and Mars Avenue; Hart Street and Pennsylvania Avenue; North Fort Harrison Avenue and Eldridge Street; Garden Avenue and Cleveland Street; and North Fort Harrison Avenue from Nicholson to Seminole street.
Daytona Beach loses racetrack design
Visitors to the home of the Daytona 500 passed over checkered flag crosswalks in front of Daytona International Speedway that were added in 2021.
By the morning of Aug. 27, the design had been painted over.
Delray Beach fights to save rainbow crosswalk
Delray Beach is fighting the order to remove its own rainbow-colored crosswalks. City commissioners voted to hold an adminstrative hearing on Sept. 2 to determine what to do next.
“For a state agency to announce they will destroy something we lawfully installed, without our consent, isn’t just government overreach,” said Commissioner Rob Long. “It’s trespass, destruction of property and an unlawful usurpation of the authority we as elected government were elected to exercise.”
DeSantis seemed unconcerned at the press conference.
“I know Key West is coming up, Delray Beach. There may be one or two others who basically just said, “We’re not going to comply’ or whatever,’” he said. “Guys, we’re going to get it done. We’re going to follow the law, and so, you can do it the easy way, you can do it the hard way.”
Fort Lauderdale votes to ‘stand our ground’
On Aug. 27, the Fort Lauderdale City Commission voted unanimously to appeal state orders to paint over four local street art installations, including a large rainbow Pride flag, the Associated Press reported.
“Tonight, we must stand our ground,” Mayor Dean Trantalis said. “We cannot allow ourselves to be bullied into submission and to allow others to dictate what we should do in our own communities.”
Gainesville removes downtown rainbow crosswalks
Gaineville didn’t just repaint their rainbow crosswalks, they pulled them up. Workers removed brightly-colored cobblestone bricks from a crosswalk near City Hall and another in front of the Hippodrome Theatre. Workers also painted over a rainbow-colored crosswalk next to Bo Diddley Plaza.
“I do not believe, and neither does our city attorney’s office, that we would be successful in a legal challenge. Neither do most other city governments in Florida,”Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward, adding that the decision wasn’t made lightly. “Our city cannot risk the loss of funding while we fight what certainly be a protracted legal battle.”
City commissioners will soon hear from staff members on ideas of how best to move forward with preserving the rainbow-colored bricks.
Hillsborough County losing award-winning street murals designed to increase student safety
At least 15 schools in Hillsborough County will see colorful street murals installed for safety reasons removed.
Most of them were part of Mayor Jane Castor’s Crosswalks for Classrooms project, the Tampa Bay Times reported, which received a statewide innovation award from the Department of Transportation in 2020.
Key West honors its crosswalks, plans resistance
Famously LGBTQ+-friendly and laid-back Key West signalled its opinion of its rainbow crosswalk by honoring it in a resolution during the city commission’s August meeting.
“This district is the site of globally recognized LGBTQIA+ celebrations, including Pride, Fantasy Fest, Tropical Heat, Women Fest, and the historic Sea-to-Sea Rainbow Flag display,” the proclamation said, “all of which reflect the enduring legacy and global significance of Key West’s LGBTQIA+ community.
City leaders, local business leaders and members of the community met the evening of Aug. 29 to plan the city’s next moves.
“Regardless of what the end result with FDOT is, I do believe there’s also opportunity for us to find avenues in which we can continue to represent the entire community the way we should,” City Manager Brian Barraso said at the end of the meeting.
Jacksonville wiping out colorful installations at four streets
Jacksonville will be removing rainbow Pride colors celebrating the LGBTQ+ community from three crosswalks in a one-block section of Lomax Street in the Riverside neighborhood, a large mural across the intersection of San Marco Boulevard at Children’s Way and pavement art on two other streets.
“While the perplexing reversal will be costly to our taxpayers, we will be complying with the state’s request to remove these paintings and working with local artists to recreate them on a different canvas that is on private property and not on a roadway,” the city’s statement said. “In Jacksonville, we welcome everyone and believe that public art beautifies the city while driving economic development.”
Miami Beach is fighting back
The Miami Beach city commission voted to appeal the state order after several commissioners and a crowd of residents called for resistance in one of the more LGBTQ+-friendly areas in Florida, WSVN reported. Activists have protested the removal of the city’s rainbow crosswalk,. one of four named in the order.
There’s an administrative meeting set for Sept. 3.
Pensacola asks FDOT to remove Black Lives Matter mural
Pensacola has accepted that a “Black Lives Matter” street mural must go, but has requested that FDOT remove it, citing limited resources and manpower and a very tight deadline.
“The role of the city of Pensacola is to follow federal and state law, and to not be necessarily picking sides in respect to that when it comes to adhering to state and federal law,” Mayor D.C. Reeves said.
Port St. Lucie takes out student memorial
A community memorial depicting a double row of red hearts in honor of St. Lucie West Centennial High School student Jessica Clinton, who died from an undiagnosed heart condition in 2003, has been painted over.
Seminole County removes ‘high visibility’ green crosswalks
Over the last few years, Seminole County has been adding bright green crosswalks at trail crossings as part of a 2022 safety enhancement study.
“The result is lower maintenance costs and a safer crosswalk for cyclists, joggers, and walkers,” the county’s website said.
On Aug. 15, FDOT sent the county a list of 15 “initial” locations that were deemed noncompliant. A spokesperson for Seminole County told News 6 that all of the cited locations would be repainted.
St. Petersburg’s request for exemption denied
St. Petersburg, a city where the Central Arts District is blanketed with expansive and colorful building murals, wrote a letter to FDOT asking for exemptions for crosswalks at five locations, citing studies showing increased public safety in intersections with murals. They were turned down.
St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch said the city had to make a tough call or risk losing millions in state funding.
“Our response will be strategic, not reactionary,” Welch posted on Facebook Aug. 26. “Whatever is taken away will be replaced in new, more impactful ways. And to those who think they can silence St. Petersburg: all you have done is amplify our voice. Our message will now travel farther and louder than ever before.”
Sarasota removes ‘PrideWalk’ mural
On Aug. 28, workers in Sarasota began paving over a massive 2,500-square-foot crosswalk mural, Project PRIDE SRQ’s “PrideWalk” installed in April 2021.
The city began removing hundreds of sidewalk square art on Aug. 21, according to city spokesperson Jan Thornburg.
Tallahassee loses colorful crosswalks at elementary school
Three colorful crosswalks on Dempsey Mayo Road between Westminster Oaks, a senior living community, and W. T. Moore Elementary were repainted by Aug. 26 despite pleas from local organizations, a study showing a dramatic decrease in people running stop signs or speeding. FDOT repainting efforts were delayed temporarily by one resident lying down in the street.
All together there were at least 12 painted roadways in Tallahassee, most in front of schools, installed by the Knight Creative Communities Institute and the Council on Culture and Arts at risk of repainting.
Tampa protests, but removes artwork
On Aug. 28, the Tampa City Council passed a resolution condemning the orders, with council member Alan Clendenin saying the city was being “held hostage,” according to the Tampa Bay Times.
But the city is still complying with the state order to remove 47 decorative crosswalks, including a “Back the Blue” mural near the Tampa Police Department painted in 2020 to honor law enforcement.
West Palm Beach removes LGBTQ+ crosswalk, plans new monument
West Palm Beach removed its Pride tribute crosswalk Aug. 25, but city officials said a park monument is planned as a safe and enduring tribute to the LGBTQ+ community.
“While we comply with state regulations, we remain fully committed to preserving that spirit through a monument that will continue to honor and celebrate our LGBTQ+ residents and their contributions to the fabric of West Palm Beach,” said Mayor Keith A. James said, according to WPEC West Palm Beach.
Are colored crosswalks more dangerous?
While the FDOT order stresses safety and claims artwork on the road is a distraction, multiple cities reported that if anything, colorful crosswalks reduced the number of traffic incidents.
“We’ve run the numbers,” St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said. “It’s actually increased safety. Accidents at those locations have actually decreased. So, we disagree with the premise that it’s a public safety issue.”
A three-year before-and-after crash analysis in St. Petersburg showed a 70% decrease in overall crashes while nearby intersection without treatment saw increases over the same period, Evan Mory, St. Petersburg’s transportation and parking management director, told FOX 13.
Contributing: Alaijah Brown, Tallahassee Democrat; Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post; Elliot TrittoGainesville Sun
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida has declared war on colorful crosswalks. Here’s what’s happening across the state
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
