WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) gave local municipalities a decision this month: remove murals from roads or possibly lose state funding.
WATCH BELOW: 'Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork,' U.S. Department of Transportation says
Boynton Beach said on Wednesday it would repave an intersection, originally painted to match an LGBTQ pride flag after the state sent a memo to the city and other municipalities in June. The state argues murals jeopardize both driver and pedestrian safety in a memo sent to cities on June 30, 2025 that WPTV obtained.
"Non-standard surface markings, signage and signals that do not directly contribute to traffic safety or control can lead to distractions or misunderstandings, jeopardize both driver and pedestrian safety," it reads. "Furthermore, uniform and consistent application of pavement surface markings is critical for the overall effectiveness of automated vehicle operation, as automated vehicle technologies rely heavily on consistent traffic control devices."
The FDOT, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, sent the letter one day before the U.S. Department of Transportation sent a letter asking state governments to identify dangerous roads and eliminate distractions.
"Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a press release. "Today, I am calling on governors in every state to ensure that roadways, intersections, and crosswalks are kept free of distractions. Far too many Americans die each year to traffic fatalities to take our eye off the ball."
WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE BELOW: City removes Pride intersection
MIXED EVIDENCE
Dr. Carl Berkowitz, who is a traffic engineer, said he thinks the decision to remove asphalt art is a good idea based on his experience researching the effect of billboards and murals on the side of buildings. He said art within the intersection could create distracted drivers, especially in crowded pedestrian areas.
“I think we should celebrate everything,” Berkowitz said. “But I think celebrating on the street could cause potential accidents. Drivers have to be focused.”
He said he thinks the FDOT likely performed a study before making the decision. WPTV also found studies showing asphalt art can improve road safety.
A 2022 study from Bloomberg Philanthropy found a decrease in the rate of crashes, fewer people crossing the intersection against the walk signal and an increase in drivers yielding to pedestrians.
"Asphalt art had a strong positive correlation with improved safety benefits across aggregated and most individual study sites," the study said. "Road user behavior clearly improved across the observed study sites in the after-analysis periods. At unsignalized intersections, there was a greater frequency of drivers immediately yielding to crossing pedestrians. Similarly, pedestrian-vehicle conflict assessments indicated a reduction in conflict rates at both signalized and unsignalized intersections."
The study looked at cities across the country, including Florida.
READ COMPLETE STUDY BELOW
Street Plans, a consultant firm based in Miami, helped create the study from Bloomberg Philanthropy. The consultant group posted on its website about helping West Palm Beach create a mural to make traffic safer at the intersection of South Tamarind Avenue and Fern Street.
The firm and the city, who called the mural “mitigation,” according to a city Facebook post in February 2019, aimed to slow traffic and make the intersection safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.
The mural is no longer at the intersection today.
WPTV reached out to Delray Beach and West Palm Beach with similar LGBTQ art at intersections within their cities to learn about their plans. Neither responded to WPTV by publication, but Boynton Beach's city manager released a written statement claiming it was ensuring full compliance with state and federal transportation mandates.
"While we recognize the symbolic importance of this intersection to our community, we must prioritize public safety and regulatory compliance," said City Manager Daniel Dugger in a statement.
Read more of WPTV's related coverage below:
Boynton Beach
City removes Pride intersection to comply with 'transportation mandates'
Boynton Beach
Video released of motorcyclist damaging Boynton Beach pride mural
Boynton Beach
Police: Pride flag painted on Boynton Beach road vandalized
Delray Beach
