MIAMI — The rainbow crosswalk on Ocean Drive and 12th Street in Miami Beach was removed Oct. 5, becoming the latest target of a statewide effort to eliminate street art deemed either political or ideological.
The Florida Department of Transportation, which issued the ruling requiring the crosswalk’s removal, said it did not conform to state traffic control standards.
Two days before the removal, on Oct. 3, Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez announced on Instagram that the city’s final appeal to save the crosswalk had been denied.
“Public safety will always be my top priority and I respect the importance of roadway safety,” Fernandez wrote. “However, this decision runs contrary to the fact that our rainbow crosswalk has proven to be among the safest on Ocean Drive.”
He noted that the crosswalk had also been a visible reminder of the city’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equality and historic preservation.
“It symbolizes our community’s pride in being a welcoming city for all and honors the legacy of Leonard Horowitz, who introduced the rainbow pastel palette to our Art Deco architecture,” Fernandez wrote.
People gather for photographs after the ceremony for rainbow-colored crosswalks in Northwood Village in West Palm Beach Thursday, June 3, 2021.
Horowitz was an architect and designer credited with incorporating that palette into Miami Beach’s Art Deco buildings. His work helped define the city’s visual style and streetscape.
In a separate Instagram post on the day of the removal, Fernandez described the arrival of state crews on Ocean Drive with heavy equipment.
“A total waste of taxpayer dollars to destroy a crosswalk that has proven to be among the safest on Ocean Drive,” he wrote. “While we could focus on those actions, I choose instead to focus on what makes Miami Beach so special — our unwavering inclusivity, our pride, and our visibility. Tallahassee can’t strip us of who we are. Miami Beach will be forever proud.”
The crosswalk was installed in 2018 and quickly became a landmark for both residents and visitors. It sat near the popular Twist gay bar.
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The removal of Miami Beach’s rainbow crosswalk is part of a broader pattern in Florida, where state transportation officials have ordered the dismantling of Pride-themed street art in multiple cities.
In Delray Beach, for example, crews covered the city’s rainbow intersection entirely in black paint overnight while local officials were pursuing a legal challenge to preserve it.
Delray Beach officials have begun exploring alternative ways to honor the LGBTQ+ community. Proposed options include a commemorative plaque, street pole banners, murals, renaming a city street and projecting rainbow-colored lights onto public structures.
Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: State of Florida removes Miami Beach Pride-themed crosswalk
