Gov. DeSantis has threatened to withhold state transportation funding and remove local leaders who don’t comply with an order to remove painted crosswalks.
City leaders in Fort Lauderdale, Florida are fighting back against Governor Ron DeSantis’ order to remove the color from rainbow-painted crosswalks, which act as both a beautification project and a road safety tool.
The Florida Department of Transportation has ordered cities to remove painted crosswalks by early September or risk losing state transportation funding. The DeSantis administration has also threatened to remove local leaders who do not comply from office. The move follows a similar order from the federal Department of Transportation, which positioned rainbow crosswalks as a “distraction” despite evidence that they actually help slow traffic and improve road safety.
According to an Associated Press article by David Fischer, Jeff Martin, and Daniel Kozin, Fort Lauderdale city commissioners voted unanimously to file an administrative appeal against the order, and voted 4-1 to instruct the city attorney to assess other legal remedies and to engage outside council to assist the city with possible legal action.
LGBTQ+ advocates say the move is another attempt to erase queer culture, as many — but not all — painted crosswalks pay tribute to the LGBTQ+ community. In Orlando, a rainbow crosswalk painted to honor the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting was removed by the city — immediately prompting local residents to repaint it themselves, after which the city once again repainted it black and white.
Read the full story: Florida cities race to save rainbow crosswalks as the state’s deadlines for removal loom
Texas Governor Orders Removal of Rainbow Crosswalks, ‘Political’ Road Markings
The directive follows a similar order from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
Pittsburgh Excels at Low-Cost, Quick-Build Traffic Calming
The city’s traffic calming initiative has led to a 6 percent average reduction in speeds on corridors with recent interventions.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
US buildings threatened, destroyed by fires set to triple by 2060
Researchers found a high fire risk for socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods in the American West.
LA residents may be allowed to paint their own crosswalks
Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky put out a motion instructing the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation to study the feasibility of allowing volunteers to paint crosswalks.
Dallas moves to overhaul its zoning code
The city's zoning reform will allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority