Somewhere Under the Rainbow…
Key West’s rainbow crosswalk in FDOT’s crosshairs instead of potholes, bridges and other infrastructure failures
Florida’s Department of Transportation is threatening to remove Key West’s iconic rainbow crosswalks at the corner of Duval and Petronia streets if the City doesn’t remove them on its own.
In what is not only an insult to the concept of home rule, but a blatant attack on diversity and LGBTQ+standards — which the Key West City Commission voted to support — pushing back against Tallahassee on the crosswalk subject at its last meeting earlier this month.
It seems reasonable that this is a priority for FDOT.
Instead of worrying about pedestrians and bicyclists getting mowed down at their idiotic crosswalks on North and South Roosevelt.
Or potholes.
Or crumbling bridges.
We must remove the rainbows.
But the crosswalk is not the only thing under attack here; the entire basis of Key West’s mantra, "One Human Family," is also in the crosshairs.
In a memo sent to the Key West City Manager on Friday, FDOT District Six secretary Daniel Iglesias ordered Brian Barrosso to remove the Pride intersection by Sept. 3.
Didn’t ask.
Ordered.
Or else.
It is the latest airstrike in a salvo from Tallahassee on home rule and its war on woke.
“Our police and law enforcement have told us that we have not had a single accident or incident at that intersection related to the crosswalks,” said City Commisioner Sam Kaufman. “This seems to be more content based, about the message within the crosswalk rather than the actual crosswalks themselves.”
Kaufman also said that city legal counsel has advised commissioners that they are within FDOT compliance and are not violating any of the rules or regulations.
“Our attorneys tell us our crosswalks are within guidelines set forth by the FDOT,” said Key West City Commissioner Sam Kaufman. “They have been there for a number of years and were installed by a contractor that is familiar with FDOT guidelines.”
Kaufman said he didn’t think the City had to worry about Tallahassee withholding funding yet.
“So we are in compliance. FDOT rules do say if we are not in compliance, that they can withhold funding,” said. “But as far as we are concerned and according to our attorneys, we are in compliance. We as a City have not received a letter to our specific address from the state about this issue.”
In the memo — obtained and reviewed by Above the Fold — the secretary wrote, “Many local jurisdictions received this Memorandum and immediately began undertaking actions to ensure compliance. However, the City of Key West has publicly stated it does not intend to comply.
“The Department’s Memorandum served as official notification to remedy all noncompliance across the State.”
Iglesias wrote that the state was providing an additional notification per the specific location, explicitly targeting the pavement markings at the Duval and Petronia Street intersection as violating FDOT’s traffic control device standards.
Igalsias said the city can avoid the costs of state removal by removing the markings and “notify(ing) the department of compliance immediately.”
Even more interesting is that Mayor Denise Henriquez was the only other city official copied on the memo.
In its high-handed way, the state shied away from confronting the entire City Commission, which had already made its position known.
Key West isn’t the only municipality under attack. Delray Beach recieved a similar memo from a different official. It is unclear how that city will react or if the trend will repeat itself across the country wherever similar messages of inclusion have been erected.
But given that the City has already pushed back, will we see another flip-flop from the dais?
Will our elected officials bend the knee to King Ronnie in Tallahassee and kiss his ring?
Only time will tell.
If you are not angry, you are simply not paying attention.
Want to let Mr. Iglesias and the FDOT know what you think?
Unfortunately, the District Six info page on the state’s website gives you a 404 unavailable error, so you can’t find any of their contact info.
But here is the contact info they likely don’t want you to have.
Tell them what you think, and they’ll them that Above the Fold sent you.
Daniel Iglesias
Secretary, FDOT District Six
1000 NW 111th Ave, Miami, FL 33172
Daniel.Iglesias@dot.state.fl.us
Kentavius.Williams@dot.state.fl.us
(305) 470-5100 or 305-470-5349
Watch this space.
The links to the emails don’t work.
And I think the mayor was copied because she cosponsored the resolution to do everything possible to explore keeping the rainbow crosswalks… Let’s see if she folds though.