Crews from the Florida Department of Transportation arrived in Miami Beach on Sunday evening in preparation for the removal of the city’s rainbow crosswalks.
The removal comes after the City of Miami Beach lost its appeal to keep its rainbow sidewalk permanent.
In August, cities across the Sunshine State began grappling with a new law requiring the removal of rainbow-painted sidewalks. FDOT identified 400 locations of rainbow crosswalks and other street art across the state as potential distractions and safety hazards.
FDOT, under the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis, ordered several communities, including the South Florida cities of Delray Beach, Key West and Miami Beach, to remove their sidewalks and other street art by early September or face the loss of state transportation funding for noncompliance.
Some of the crosswalks, which have been widely seen as symbols of inclusion and belonging for historically marginalized groups such as the Black and LGBTQ+ communities, were painted over during overnight operations.
Some cities, such as Orlando, have fought back by restoring their Pride crosswalks and street art after FDOT came through town.
The City of Miami Beach, in particular, has been at the forefront of the fight. Miami Beach was given a Sept. 4 deadline to remove its rainbow crosswalk on Ocean Drive; however, city leaders passed several resolutions during a Sept. 3 commission meeting to keep the sidewalk and approved the renaming of the street where it lay as Pride Street to make it more permanent.
