ORLANDO, Fla. – Earlier this week, transportation officials in Florida painted over the rainbow crosswalk located outside the Pulse Nightclub, a memorial honoring the 49 victims of the 2016 incident.
The action of removing the crosswalk has caused considerable public opposition and has highlighted the situation of other street art pieces throughout Orlando.
[VIDEO: Rainbow crosswalk near Pulse Nightclub in Orlando removed overnight]
Since the removal, demonstrators have gathered at the site, filling the crosswalk and surrounding sidewalks with chalk.
People like Sam Sharpless showed up to the Pulse Memorial Site on Saturday to pay their respects.
“Well, I’m really disappointed in the state for taking that step and really it’s not just this crosswalk, all the crosswalks on the street have been reset,” Sharpless said.
In addressing concerns, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) sent a letter to the city of Orlando on Aug. 21, listing 18 street art locations considered non-compliant with state design standards and scheduled for removal. Notably, the Pulse rainbow crosswalk was not part of this list.
You are further notified that if the markings are removed by the Department, all expenses related to the removal will be charged to the City of Orlando. You may avoid these expenses by removing the pavement markings and then notifying the Department of compliance immediately. Please note that the Department will pursue withholding state funds as allowed by law should the City of Orlando choose not to comply.
FDOT
[WATCH: Florida officials sent Orlando a list of crosswalk art to be removed. Pulse wasn’t on it]
“It’s kind of disheartening,” Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose said. “The state approved it, understood what it represented, and to just not provide any notice and paint over the crosswalk — it’s really disheartening.”
The removal of the Pulse crosswalk comes nearly two months after a directive from the Trump administration ordering the removal of what it calls “distracting” road art.
“Billboards are distracting,” Sanford resident Ricardo Padilla said. “Colorful signs on the Dunkin’ Donuts is distracting. We have to change everything? Why can’t we have a colorful sidewalk that represents people that I love?”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent letters to all 50 governors urging the removal of any roadway markings or political messages not directly related to pedestrian or driver safety.
As for what’s next for Orlando, Rose said the city plans to show the benefits of its crosswalks and intersections that include street art.
“So, we’re going to continue to kind of tell our case about our enhanced crosswalks and show the data of how it has improves lives and how it has saved lives and then just kind of go from there,” Rose said.
There is another intersection that includes crosswalks with street art that appears to have not been included in FDOT’s list, located at Bumby Avenue and Central Boulevard in the Milk District. It’s unclear whether that intersection is also not in compliance.
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