City officials announced Thursday that the rainbow-painted crosswalk at Spruce Avenue and Northwood Road will soon be power-washed away to comply with directives from the Trump administration and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Both leaders have ordered cities to remove street markings that commemorate the LGBTQ+ community, citing new Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) regulations.
Federal and state transportation officials made it clear earlier this month that cities failing to comply could risk losing funding. For West Palm Beach, that’s a big deal—the city receives more than $2 million in state and federal money annually for road projects.
Despite the mandate, West Palm Beach says it’s not abandoning its commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.Kathleen Joy, director of communications for Mayor Keith James’ office, confirmed that the city will relocate and reimagine the tribute at Serenity Park in Northwood Village, a neighborhood largely revitalized by LGBTQ+ residents.
The new memorial will feature permanent colored bricks matching the Pride flag, upgraded landscaping, better lighting, and other welcoming elements to ensure the tribute lasts.
The removal stems from policy changes under Donald Trump’s transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, and Florida’s transportation secretary, Jared Perdue. Both officials said publicly that they don’t want state or federal dollars funding “political ideologies” on public streets.
Duffy stated on July 1 via social media: “Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks.”Perdue added the next day that Florida aims to keep transportation spaces “free & clear of politics,” while attaching a memo warning cities they could lose funding for failing to comply.
The move follows similar actions across Florida—Boynton Beach recently became the first South Florida city to scrub its rainbow street art.
The rainbow crosswalk will be removed in the coming weeks, but city officials say the new park installation will be permanent and more durable. For West Palm Beach, it’s a way to comply with state and federal rules without erasing the community it was meant to honor.
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