The state issued a directive banning all on-road decorations after an administrative rule change by the Department of Transportation, ending prior practice of permitting such markings as safety enhancements. The ban covers rainbow crosswalks, trailway entrances, street murals, and civic paintings such as a "Back The Blue" street painting in Tampa. State crews painted over a rainbow crosswalk adjacent to the Pulse nightclub in the middle of the night; that crosswalk had been approved in 2017 after the mass shooting that killed 49 mostly gay and Latino victims. Officials signaled legal action with some cities over the rule change, and lawmakers and advocates expressed outrage.
That follows an administrative rule change by the Department of Transportation abruptly outlawing any type of road decor, something the state, for years prior, has honored as safety enhancements. The new directive means not only an end to rainbow crosswalks in Orlando and other venues but to trailway entrances, street murals, and even a "Back The Blue" street painting in Tampa that honors police, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
A week ago, the Florida Department of Transportation, in the middle of the night, painted over a crosswalk in Orlando adjacent to the Pulse nightclub. That was specifically authorized and approved by the Transportation Department under Republican Gov. Rick Scott in 2017, months after a deadly mass shooting at a gay nightclub. A killer claiming allegiance to ISIS murdered 49 mostly gay and Latino victims.
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