The head of the group that sponsored the crosswalk painting said ‘all the crosswalks in Leon County are apolitical.’
KCCI and Leon County team up for artistic crosswalk ribbon cutting
KCCI Director Betsy Couch leads the group for inaugural “crosswalk” on new artistic crosswalks.
- Florida is removing decorative crosswalks, including those designed by students, due to a state law against street art.
- Local officials argue the crosswalks improved safety and were funded by private sources, not public funds.
- Regardless, the state is threatening to withhold funding if the crosswalks are not removed.
What began as a cheerful safety project by Leon County students – bright crosswalks splashed with color outside their schools – will be painted over this week, casualties of a state law cracking down on street art.
An Aug. 15 letter from the Florida Department of Transportation demanded the city of Tallahassee pave over the artwork immediately or risk a loss of state funding. The city is complying with the state’s orders and is expected to quickly begin painting over the crosswalks to meet the state’s Sept. 3 deadline.
City Manager Reese Goad apologized “for any confusion regarding the city’s approach” in a response letter to FDOT that was obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat.
“City staff is moving forward with removing the pavement marking on roadways under the City’s control,” Goad wrote. “Work will begin Thursday, August 21st to ensure compliance with the September 3, 2025, deadline.”
The county commission is still waiting for an official advisory from the state. “While Leon County has not yet received official notice, we have been in active communication with FDOT. The County is providing FDOT with safety data regarding the artistic crosswalks, and FDOT will advise us on their final decision,” County Administrator Vince Long told the Tallahassee Democrat.
Across Leon County there are 10 painted crosswalks to be covered.
The directive stems from a crackdown on politically-tinged and “woke” street art, initiated by the Trump administration and cemented into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis when he signed Senate Bill 1662.
Initially, the Leon County crosswalks were in a gray area. The enforcement was largely targeting street art such as “Black Lives Matter” depictions or rainbows, which often is a symbol of the LGBT+ community. But the edict includes non-political images that range from musical notes and flowers to paw prints.
Betsy Couch, executive director of Knight Creative Communities Institute, the organization that initiated the artwork wrote in an email to the Leon County School Board that “all the crosswalks in Leon County are apolitical.”
They are “community supported, data driven, and fiscally responsible,” she added. “The crosswalks were created with private business dollars or foundation funding and in full alignment with local, state, and federal safety guidelines at the time of installation.”
She went on: “The students at the schools designed or gave design input on the crosswalks. It was a community-effort by the community, for the community.”
Any pavement or surface art out of compliance with the department’s design manual on travel lanes, paved shoulders, intersections, crosswalks or sidewalks “are to be immediately remedied,” which includes the removal, modification or replacement of a roadway, according to a memo from FDOT.
If a local agency does not comply with the policy, the memo says it could be at risk of having state funds withheld from the agency.
And the issue isn’t exclusive to Tallahassee: A rainbow crosswalk in Orlando at the Pulse Memorial site was painted over in the middle of the night on Aug. 20 by FDOT, according to state Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando.
“It was never a political statement, and caring about people of all backgrounds is not meant to be a political statement. And, more visible crosswalks help to increase visibility and safety too,” Eskamani wrote in a post on X.
Couch wrote letters to the city commission and the Leon County School Board to support adding bold brickwork to maintain crosswalk visibility and safety and to advocate for the artwork’s efficiency.
“Local data proved they work. The data showed on the city streets near Cobb Middle School and Kate Sullivan Elementary, the colorful crosswalks proved to limit the number of cars running the stop light and stop sign. After the installation, more cars were stopping before the crosswalks instead of on them. All safety improvements,” Couch wrote.
Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at ABrown1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter/X: @AlaijahBrown3.
