JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax has learned Jacksonville’s rainbow crosswalks and other “pavement art” will soon be removed from city streets — and taxpayers will have to cover the cost.

The Florida Department of Transportation sent a letter to the city, requiring it to remove road art at six different intersections by next Thursday or lose state funding.

The city said it will comply with the state’s request and expects it to be costly.

Action News Jax asked the city exactly how much it will cost, but a spokesperson said they do not know yet.

Public works will hire contractors to remove the road paintings at these locations:

  • West of Lomax Street and Oak Street (one crosswalk)
  • Lomax Street between Park Street and Oak Street (one crosswalk)
  • Lomax Street and Margaret Street (one crosswalk)
  • Childrens Way and San Marco Boulevard (all pavement art and crosswalk)
  • 9th Street W and Pearl Street N (all crosswalks)
  • Milnor Street near Richard L Brown Elementary School (one crosswalk

“I can’t see a good reason why you would want to remove that,” said D’andre Wilcox, who lives in Jacksonville.

This all comes following a memo from FDOT calling for the removal of pavement surface art that doesn’t directly relate to road safety.

“I just think it’s another attack on the LGBT community,” said Wilcox.

Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith said communities are going to continue to rally against this.

“They are sending a message to the state that we will not be erased,” said Guillermo-Smith. “They are creating even larger murals that are going to be bigger, more colorful and gayer than ever to send the message that love always wins.”

The art must be gone by September 4th.

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The city sent Action News Jax this statement:

“A 2022 Bloomberg study found that decorated crosswalks actually made streets safer, showing a 50% drop in pedestrian crashes and big decreases in accidents overall. In fact, these traffic calming measures were once encouraged by the State of Florida.

“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. In Jacksonville, we welcome everyone and believe that public art beautifies the city while driving economic development.”

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