Miami Beach commissioners unanimously approved rebuilding the city’s iconic rainbow crosswalk in Lummus Park, five months after Florida Department of Transportation crews removed the original installation from Ocean Drive and 12th Street. The $100,000 project reuses original pavers merged with new ones to create a rainbow sidewalk that sidesteps state restrictions on roadway designs.
“To take something that was considered an assault to some people, a tragedy to others and a front to most – and turn it into a moment of strength and pride, what better than that,” Commissioner Tanya Katzoff Bhatt said. Crews began reassembling the former crosswalk brick by brick behind a green fence near the original location. The project represents a rebirth of what many considered a symbol of love, acceptance and solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community.
“These crosswalks were a symbol of progress, and they come and stripe it away – it’s a very clear message,” Commissioner Alex Fernandez said. The original crosswalk was removed after the DeSantis administration banned roadway designs tied to social, political or ideological messages, citing safety concerns. State transportation crews used heavy machinery to tear apart the crosswalk on Oct. 25.
“We have Tallahassee spending its time manufacturing culture wars,” Katzoff Bhatt said. “It was empirically the safest intersection on Ocean Drive.” The city appealed the state’s decision but lost the challenge. Four months later, Katzoff Bhatt pushed an agenda item to bring back the crosswalk in a new location within city property.
“This is a simple replace of the rainbow crosswalk that was torn up,” she said. The relocation to Lummus Park allows the city to bypass state restrictions that apply to roadways but not to city park property. Commissioners also approved a plaque explaining the crosswalk’s history as part of the restoration project.
Commissioner Joe Magazine has pledged to donate benches to complement the new rainbow sidewalk installation. The project makes unique use of the original pavers that were salvaged from the Ocean Drive location, preserving the physical materials that comprised the original symbol. The combination of original and new pavers maintains continuity with the crosswalk’s history while establishing its new presence in the park setting.