JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Over the Labor Day weekend, the Florida Department of Transportation removed street art in several Jacksonville neighborhoods, including the rainbow crosswalks of 5 Points.
Jacksonville was initially given a deadline of Thursday, September 4, to get several intersections into compliance with state guidelines, but the City said things changed.
“The City of Jacksonville Public Works Department completed the Springfield crosswalks on Friday,” said the City in a statement. ”FDOT moved up the deadline provided to the City from Thursday, September 4 to Labor Day. With this late change, an FDOT crew completed the remaining crosswalks over the weekend.”
Still, traces of rainbow chalk have already been spotted where the paint used to be, echoing protest efforts seen in Orlando near the site of the Pulse nightclub shooting.
The designers and installers of the rainbow crosswalks in 5 Points, HeartSpaced Art, said the removal has left many in the community feeling erased.
“It is really sad because it’s only been one year and it meant so much to so many people who live around here,” said co-owner Danielle Cleary. “Who come into Jacksonville even as visitors that see these pieces of art—it helps them feel alive and a part of the space.”
The crosswalk art in 5 Points was organized and privately funded by the Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) and completed in 2024 as a way to celebrate the area’s LGBTQ+ history.
“When you see the beloved 5 Points rainbow crosswalks removed, be reminded that no initiative or mandate can ever erase the genuine humanity behind them,” wrote RAP in a statement.
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Rainbow crosswalks aren’t the only art being removed. A racing-themed crosswalk in front of Daytona International Speedway was painted over earlier in the week. Also on the list are painted bike lanes outside an Orlando elementary school.
In the June 30 memo, FDOT said that ‘non standard’ surface markings “can lead to distractions or misunderstandings,” jeopardizing safety for drivers and pedestrians. In a news conference on Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis claimed art on roadways had “gotten out of hand.”
Both Mayor Donna Deegan’s office and RAP claim its not a safety issue, citing a Bloomberg study on crash statistics following the installation of asphalt art.
The City also said it would be working with local artists to recreate the art “on a different canvas that is on private property and not on a roadway.”
A fundraising campaign led by the Jax LGBT Chamber Foundation has been launched in support of new art around the city.
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