TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa Metropolis Council unanimously handed a decision throughout a gathering Thursday condemning the actions of Gov. Ron DeSantis to limit or take away “artwork, work, neighborhood, crosswalk expression and security enhancements” throughout Florida.
On Wednesday at a press convention, DeSantis mentioned the legislature handed a legislation just lately that holds, “there’s no avenue artwork allowed.”
“The Division of Transportation put out steerage just lately, a pair months in the past, reminding all people and this has been addressed statewide,” DeSantis mentioned, noting this contains “any problem below the solar” together with “Blue Lives Matter.”
Tampa officers mentioned avenue artwork will likely be eliminated in 47 places within the coming weeks, as reported by WFLA.
Throughout Thursday’s assembly, Tampa Metropolis Council member Alan Clendenin, who proposed the decision, mentioned they’re “being held hostage by Tallahassee.”
“We don’t have a alternative, as a result of they’re holding us hostage. We’re dependent upon Florida Division of transportation funding for thus many issues so with in the event that they had been to withhold funding from town of Tampa as a result of we didn’t comply with the principles, it’s one thing we are able to’t dwell with,” Clendenin mentioned.
The Florida Division of Transportation beforehand informed Florida’s Voice that the brand new guide prohibits “non-uniform site visitors management units, comparable to pavement markings on state and native roads.”
FDOT mentioned it notified all native governments of the updates in June, and revised provisions of Florida Statutes that give the Division authority to “withhold state funds for noncompliance,” the division mentioned.
Clendenin’s decision argues that their “Crosswalks to Lecture rooms” program “makes use of brightly painted, themed crosswalks close to faculties to reinforce pedestrian security, calm site visitors, and beautify communities, immediately supporting town’s broader aim of eliminating site visitors fatalities and severe accidents.”
The councilman mentioned it “breaks his coronary heart” as a result of a variety of the crosswalks have been created by college students as a part of their “Crosswalks to Lecture rooms” program, which was launched by Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
Crosswalks to Lecture rooms is bringing improved security & artwork into our neighborhoods one intersection at a time. 🚶🎨 A key piece of our #VisionZero initiative, these colourful crosswalks remind drivers to decelerate in high-traffic, college zones. pic.twitter.com/OjrYZK2Hen
— Jane Castor (@JaneCastor) March 21, 2023
“Our Crosswalks to Lecture rooms was awarded by the Florida Division of Transportation as ‘security enhancement,’ the identical division now that’s telling we have now to sandblast all of them off the off the roads,” he mentioned.
Though the decision is unlikely to spark any adjustments, he mentioned they wanted to “make a press release.”
The decision calls upon the state to permit town to proceed public artwork and “respect native decision-making authority and to permit communities the liberty to precise themselves by means of public artwork and design.”
Different counties and cities throughout the state have been pushing again, together with Miami Seashore and Orlando, amongst others.
