Miami Beach’s rainbow crosswalk, a once colorful pride symbol that was prominently displayed along the bustling Ocean Drive strip before state officials erased it six months ago, was revived Friday in nearby Lummus Park.
“Bringing the crosswalk back shows what it looks like when local leadership listens,” said SAVE Director of Advocacy and Communications Miles Davis. “It reflects a commitment to inclusion and to governing in a way that brings people together, not pitting communities against each other.”
The crosswalk, which Miami Beach unveiled in November 2018 at the intersection of Twelfth Street and Ocean Drive as a symbol of a “diverse and inclusive city,” was torn apart by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in October. The city had not been informed in advance.
The state cited safety risks as it removed similar artwork across South Florida. Miami Beach Commissioners unanimously approved an agenda item to rebuild the crosswalk in Lummus Park. The idea: to avoid the state’s order that targeted street art.
”The beautiful thing about this is that it’s our straight allies.” said Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez, the body’s only openly gay member. They have come together on the Miami Beach City Commission, united to support us and refused and rejected the notion that in Miami Beach, the gay community would be put back into the shadows. “
The Miami Beach crosswalk’s original placement on Twelfth and Ocean Drive was built next to the iconic drag bar – Palace Bar. It also featured the same pastel colors that the openly gay co-founder of the Miami Design Preservation League, Leonard Horowitz, used for the Art Deco District.
The city commission in September joined Key West, Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale in contesting an order by the state to either scrub their pride crosswalks or lose funding.
Protests also followed the state’s threat, as the community gathered on Ocean Drive chanting and holding signs that read “Forever Proud.”
Miami Beach Republican state representative Fabian Basabe interrupted a rally featuring local officials, and labeled the fight over the crosswalk “fake outrage.” He proposed re-painting the pride art at Pride Park by the Miami Beach Convention Center.
FDOT officials said in a notice that the crosswalks distracted drivers, but specifically mentioned “art that is associated with social, political, or ideological messages.”
The notice also said that the “non-standard surface markings, signage, and signals that do not directly contribute to traffic safety or control can lead to distractions or misunderstandings, jeopardizing both device and pedestrian safety.”
In October, the Miami Beach commission lost the appeal it had filed against the state’s order to remove the crosswalk. FDOT officials later arrived in Miami Beach — without giving city officials prior warning according to Fernandez – and began covering up the mural.
October 5, 2025. First brick pulled out of the rainbow crosswalk by workers with the Florida Department of Transportation.
October 5, 2025. Heavy machinery arrives in Miami Beach to remove the crosswalk
October 5, 2025. The majority of the crosswalk was removed roughly an hour later.
Crash data shared by Fernandez from the Miami Beach police department shows that from 2018 – the year the crosswalk was installed on Twelfth Street and Ocean Drive – to May 20, 2025, there were 15 crashes. In comparison, 10th Street saw a total number of 37 crashes during that time frame.
“What happened last fall was not just about infrastructure,” said Davis. “It was about an effort to strip away a symbol that represents safety, belonging and decades of progress for our community.”
The city kept the mural’s bricks that FDOT had ripped from the ground with the goal of eventually repurposing them in another community symbol.
The crosswalk’s return was announced ahead of the start of the 18th annual Miami Beach Pride celebrations, which began last Thursday with a flag-raising ceremony outside city hall, and will end Sunday with the annual Miami Beach Pride Parade along Ocean Drive. The city’s theme this year is “Pride is Infinite.”
The crosswalk was moved to Lummus Park nearby. Miami Beach commissioners say this bypassed the state’s order, which went after street art due to safety concerns.
Fernandez argues that moving over the crosswalk to the popular park right by the beach will drive more awareness towards the issue.
“[The state doesn’t] realize it, but they’ve actually done us a favor,” said Fernandez. “Because they got us to work our creativity… to collaborate in the preservation of these bricks, and then to place them in a much more visible spot. It gives us the incredible opportunity not only to make it more visible, but to tell and document the story for everyone to understand how today those rainbow pavers are much more significant than before.”
The commission also approved a commemorative plaque to accompany the new crosswalk, which Fernandez says will be used to document the loss of the former street art that was covered over.
“ Future generations need to understand that people fought for our rights,” said Fernandez. “We were persistent and with the help of our allies, we overcame and we found a way to bring it back.
