Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state was fully embracing a new policy of wiping asphalt art from streets across the state, regardless of messaging, intent or even potential safety benefits.
Orlando was the first to feel the brunt of the state’s new road manual, which saw the locally famous rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub erased overnight. DeSantis contended the state was broadly applying the new rules, painting over everything from rainbows to a “Back The Blue” pro-police mural in Tampa.
“The Florida legislature passed a law that was very clear … we’re not doing the commandeering of the roads to put up messaging,” he said at a press conference in Tampa on Tuesday. “We’ve made the policy decision in Florida that we’re not going to use the roads for that purpose.”
Orlando officials were shocked last week when they learned the mural in remembrance of the 49 killed at the former Pulse nightclub had been wiped away overnight. The following evening, City Hall received notice that at least 18 other crosswalks, intersections, and road markings were deemed by the Florida Department of Transportation to no longer comply with state rules and had to be removed by Sept. 4.
The 18 markings include artistic apolitical murals highlighting crosswalks in downtown Orlando, paver crosswalks in Creative Village and colorful bicycle logos in a bike lane near a Lake Nona elementary school.
Florida Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue said the state had done an inventory of at least 400 locations ahead of its recent decisions, and is in the process of paving over anything not in compliance.
“Pavement art is not allowed, and we’re removing everything that is not compliant with state and federal standards,” he said alongside DeSantis Tuesday.
DeSantis said the state was following the lead of the Trump Administration, which is moving to wipe murals from streets across the country. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tweeted earlier this year he’s specifically targeting rainbows.
“Now with the Trump administration, they’re very aggressive in saying the roads shouldn’t have the markings on them,” DeSantis said.
Seminole County received a similar notice and confirmed it was painting over bright green “high-visibility trail crossing” once lauded as a safety enhancement.
Orlando hasn’t decided whether it will appeal the state’s order. If the markings are still there on Sept. 4, the letter states FDOT will pave over them and bill the city for the expenses.
While the letter notes Orlando is allowed to appeal, it adds that any hearing won’t result in a decision in the city’s favor, stating the agency had “already reviewed the pavement markings at the location(s) mentioned above and determined that the pavement markings will not be allowed.”
DeSantis dismissed the concerns of cities opposed to the rainbow removal such as Delray Beach, which has a scheduled hearing next month on its “noncompliance” in removing its colorful Pride intersection.
“I don’t know why you’d want to try to make a scene over it,” he said. “Just understand this has been done across the state and it’s been regardless of the messaging that’s been used.”
