WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — In a decision resonating across the community, the pride crosswalk in the Northwood area of West Palm Beach has now officially been removed.
WATCH BELOW: 'It’s heartbreaking that it had to go just for political views,' Will Davis tells WPTV
The work began Monday morning and is expected to be completed this week. The removal stems from a directive that the Florida Department of Transportation claims is aimed at regulating road markings to enhance safety and eliminate "ideological imagery" from public roadways.
The city said it had purchased specialty rainbow-colored bricks, originally intended to update the crosswalks at the intersection. Instead, those new rainbow-colored bricks will now be used to create an LGBTQ+ monument in Serenity Park— a project that's being funded from the city’s public art fund, not taxpayer dollars.
Riding her bike through the now colorless intersection, local resident Karen Lee Green reflected on what the vibrant rainbow crosswalk meant to her.
“That was my favorite highlight of town. I thought my eyes deceived me," she said. "For me I am still heartbroken over the rainbow that has disappeared, the color and the representation."
The crosswalk, located at the intersection of Spruce Avenue and Northwood Road, lost its colorful charm on Monday morning as crews pressure washed away the vibrant colors to comply with state regulations.
WATCH BELOW: 'The symbolism is very concerning,' Nicholas Coppola tells WPTV
"I didn't realize how much I'd miss it until right this second when you're asking me... I just don't even know where to look. I'm like, gasp! I thought for a moment, can I still live here?" Green expressed.
The removal of the rainbow colors has been welcomed by some, including local property owner Frank Popfinger.
“I’m for to each is own, I really am, but for me and the public to have to see other people what they stand for, I don't believe in that. Keep it at the privacy of your home or wherever your property is but not for the public," he stated, adding that the rainbow should have never been there in the first place.
The loss has left local business owners like Will Davis, who runs the Day-By-Day Shop, disheartened.
“It was great, we had a lot of people come into the shop and say, ‘Wow, this is great,’ or I would direct people, ‘Hey, cross the rainbow crosswalk.’ It’s heartbreaking that it had to go just for political views. Who would have thought that a rainbow would've made someone so upset?” Davis lamented.
Despite the loss, Davis remains hopeful about the future.
“The silver lining to the storm through this rainbow is that we're going to get this LGBTQ+ memorial here still in the Northwood Village district in West Palm Beach," he said.
The city released the following statement to WPTV's Joel Lopez:
As part of our continued commitment to meaningfully honor and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, the monument will be relocated and reimagined at Serenity Park in Northwood Village. The original historic colored LGBTQ+ flag bricks will serve as the centerpiece of a beautifully redesigned space, featuring enhanced landscaping, improved lighting, and other welcoming elements -- creating a safe, vibrant, and enduring tribute to the community.
West Palm Beach joins other cities in Palm Beach County that are removing Pride murals from intersections.
Boynton Beach removed its Pride intersection last month to comply with "state and federal transportation mandates."
Read more of WPTV's related coverage below:
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City plans to remove Pride crosswalk, 'reimagine' it elsewhere
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FDOT orders cities to remove 'asphalt art' or risk losing funding
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'It’s trespassing': City requests surveillance to prevent removal of mural
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City removes Pride intersection to comply with 'transportation mandates'
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