DOWNTOWN STREET MURALS TO BE REMOVED, PER FDOT'S HIT LIST
Following last night’s statement from FDOT after repainting the Pulse Memorial Crosswalk, the Florida Department of Transportation has officially delivered the City of Orlando a detailed hit list of what installations they’ll be targeting next, as part of its recently updated rulebook.
In a letter dated August 21, and obtained by Orlando Shine earlier this evening, FDOT identifies nearly twenty locations, from Park Lake/Concord/Amelia corridors to Thornton Park and downtown Orange Avenue, that it says violate Florida’s traffic-control standards and must be removed.
The inventory spans decorative crosswalks, paver intersections (including North Orange at Central and South Orange at Pine and Church -pictured above), and even bike symbols on Laureate Boulevard in Lake Nona. Which you can see in the interactive map below.
FDOT cites Section 316.0745, Florida Statutes, and gives the City a September 4 deadline to remove the crosswalks on the list; if the work isn’t done, the state says it will do it itself and charge Orlando for the work, also warning it may withhold state funds for noncompliance. At this time, it’s unclear if they gave the City of Orlando the same warning for the Pulse Memorial Crosswalk, and why they prioritized it over this new list.
The department’s letter also says it has confirmed the City will “work expeditiously” to take the markings out and spells out 14-day hearing rights, while stressing that exceptions/waivers aren’t on the table for these sites.
“We appreciate that we have been able to confirm with you that the City of Orlando has agreed to work expeditiously to remove the noncompliant pavement markings listed above. The Department
appreciates your cooperation and commitments made to remedy the noncompliance.If not already remedied, the noncompliant markings must be removed by September 4, 2025. Please
reply to this email immediately thereafter so that we may update our records and reflect the City of
Orlando’s compliance. If we do not hear from you, the pavement markings referenced above will be
removed by the Department of Transportation without further notice.You are further notified that if the markings are removed by the Department, all costs associated with the removal will be assessed against City of Orlando. You may avoid these costs by removing the pavement markings and then notifying the Department of compliance immediately.
Please note that the Department will pursue withholding of state funds as permitted by the law should City of Orlando reverse course and decide not to comply.”
All of the installations in question, sometimes referred to as “visual speedbumps,” were at one time approved by FDOT before being painted and installed. In the city planning world, installations like these are proven ways to make drivers feel like they should slow down in certain areas and are treated as a proven form of psychological traffic calming.
Groups like the Asphalt Art Initiative (Website), which is backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies, specialize in turning pavement into safety-minded public art, and according to a multi-city study, street art has an incredible impact on traffic.
