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<\/p>\nOver the Labor Day weekend, the Florida Department of Transportation removed street art in several Jacksonville neighborhoods, including the rainbow crosswalks of 5 Points.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe City of Jacksonville Public Works Department completed the Springfield crosswalks on Friday,\u201d said the City in a statement. \u201dFDOT 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The designers and installers of the rainbow crosswalks in 5 Points, HeartSpaced Art, said the removal has left many in the community feeling erased.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is really sad because it\u2019s only been one year and it meant so much to so many people who live around here,\u201d said co-owner Danielle Cleary. \u201cWho come into Jacksonville even as visitors that see these pieces of art\u2014it helps them feel alive and a part of the space.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019s LGBTQ+ history.<\/p>\n
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Photos: Riverside Avondale Preservation<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you see the beloved 5 Points rainbow crosswalks removed, be reminded that no initiative or mandate can ever erase the genuine humanity behind them,\u201d wrote RAP in a statement.<\/p>\n
[DOWNLOAD: <\/b>Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks<\/b><\/a>]<\/b><\/p>\n Rainbow crosswalks aren\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n In the June 30 memo, FDOT said that \u2018non standard\u2019 surface markings \u201ccan lead to distractions or misunderstandings,\u201d jeopardizing safety for drivers and pedestrians. In a news conference on Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis claimed art on roadways had \u201cgotten out of hand.\u201d<\/p>\n Both Mayor Donna Deegan\u2019s office and RAP claim its not a safety issue, citing a Bloomberg study on crash statistics following the installation of asphalt art.<\/p>\n The City also said it would be working with local artists to recreate the art \u201con a different canvas that is on private property and not on a roadway.\u201d<\/p>\n A fundraising campaign <\/a>led by the Jax LGBT Chamber Foundation has been launched in support of new art around the city.<\/p>\n