Overview

• FDOT acknowledged repainting the Pulse memorial crosswalk overnight and said it was restoring the intersection to its "proper form" under an updated manual, noting a state-funded permanent memorial is planned on adjacent property.
• Orlando received an email listing at least 18 additional decorative crosswalks and bike symbols for removal by Sept. 4, with the state warning it could withhold transportation funds, do the work itself, and bill the city.
• The enforcement follows a July 1 directive from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy calling for consistent, distraction-free markings and specifically criticizing rainbow designs, as well as Florida’s June restrictions on non-standard pavement art.
• Residents, survivors, and advocates protested at the Pulse site and recolored the crossing with chalk twice, while local leaders argued the designs improved pedestrian visibility and cited studies showing crash reductions.
• Florida has issued similar orders to other cities, including deadlines in Key West and Miami Beach and a removal notice for a pride-flag street near Fort Lauderdale beach, as Delray Beach seeks a Sept. 2 administrative hearing to contest the state’s order.