Fort Lauderdale is still fighting to keep its street art — including the pride-themed rainbow painted on Sebastian Street near the beach — and a resolution could be just weeks away.
Attorneys representing the city and the state are working on a settlement and have been given a deadline of March 12 by a state administrative law judge.
Mayor Dean Trantalis declined to comment Wednesday, citing the ongoing litigation.
The statewide crackdown that began in August has led to the removal of colorful rainbow crosswalks from Key West to Delray Beach.
State transportation officials argued that street art is distracting and can pose a risk to drivers. Critics say it’s a thinly veiled attack on the state’s LGBTQ community.
Other cities have removed street art under the threat of losing state funding, but Fort Lauderdale — known worldwide as a LGBTQ-friendly town — chose to fight back.
On Sept. 4, Fort Lauderdale filed a petition for a formal administrative hearing before the Florida Department of Transportation. On Sept. 15, a state hearing officer denied the request during an informal proceeding held in Orlando.
Four days later, the same hearing officer ordered the removal of every single street art design in Fort Lauderdale. That same day, the city filed a notice to appeal the FDOT order with the Fourth District Court of Appeal.
On Tuesday, a judge with the state’s Division of Administrative Hearings gave the two sides more time to continue settlement negotiations and file a joint status report.
Both sides jointly requested that the court extend the deadline.
“The parties shall confer and advise the undersigned in writing no later than March 12, 2026, as to the status of this matter, the length of time required for the final hearing and several mutually-agreeable dates for scheduling the final hearing should one be necessary,” the judge wrote. “Failure to timely advise gives rise to the conclusion that this matter has been amicably resolved, and accordingly the file will be closed.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan