ST. PETERSBURG, FL \u2014 Community organizers are rallying to save St. Petersburg\u2019s street murals after the state threatened to withhold funding to municipalities across Florida over street art that\u2019s inconsistent with state law and the Florida Department of Transportation Design Manual. <\/p>\n
A Change.org<\/a> petition is circulating in support of murals, which include the LGBTQ+ Pride crosswalk in the Grand Central District and the Black History Matters street mural in front of the Woodson Museum. The petition, which has nearly 2,200 signatures as of Thursday morning, calls for city council members to advocate for local rule.<\/p>\n Local LGBTQ+ leaders, the NAACP\u2019s St. Petersburg chapter and the Woodson also hope to pack Thursday\u2019s St. Petersburg City Council meeting with supporters of the street art as the issue is discussed by council members. <\/p>\n Find out what’s happening in St. Petefor free with the latest updates from Patch.<\/p>\n They\u2019re encouraging supporters to rally on the front steps of St. Petersburg City Hall<\/a> with banners, flags and signs at 2 p.m., ahead of the meeting. There will also be opportunities for public comments about the murals. <\/p>\n In a June 30 internal memo, Will Watts, FDOT\u2019s chief operating officer and assistant secretary, called for municipalities to remove \u201cnon-compliant traffic control devices and surface markings, including pavement art installations.\u201d <\/p>\n Find out what’s happening in St. Petefor free with the latest updates from Patch.<\/p>\n This includes \u201cpavement surface art that is associated with social, political, or ideological messages or images and does not serve the purpose of traffic control.\u201d<\/p>\n State officials claim that the removal of the street art is a safety issue. <\/p>\n \u201cNon-standard surface markings, signage, and signals that do not directly contribute to traffic safety or control can lead to distractions or misunderstandings, jeopardizing both driver and pedestrian safety,\u201d Watts wrote in the memo. \u201cFurthermore, uniform and consistent application of pavement surface markings is critical for the overall effectiveness of automated vehicle operation, as automated vehicle technologies rely heavily on consistent traffic control devices.\u201d<\/p>\n Studies, including the 2022 Asphalt Art Safety Study from Bloomberg Philanthropies<\/a>, show the opposite, though. <\/p>\n The Asphalt Art Safety Study found that areas with street art, including intersection murals, crosswalk art, painted plazas, and sidewalk extensions, saw a 50 percent drop in traffic crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists, a 37 percent drop in crashes leading to injuries, a 27 percent increase in drivers yielding to pedestrians with the right-of-way, and a 17 percent decrease in total crashes. <\/p>\n \u201cThe state said they felt it (pavement art) was a distraction. Well, your feeling doesn\u2019t count; science shows otherwise,\u201d Brian Longstreth, an organizer who supports saving the city\u2019s street murals, told Patch. \u201cThere are actually less accidents. Let\u2019s deal with science and let us be St. Pete.\u201d See Also: <\/p>\n Artist John Gascot, who worked on the original Black Lives Matter mural and the Black History Matters mural that replaced it, said the art mirrors St. Petersburg\u2019s diverse, \u201cunderrepresented and underserved\u201d communities. <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re a reflection of the community and as a community that has historically had to fight to be heard and seen, there\u2019s an importance to that,\u201d he told Patch. <\/p>\n While the city is known for its vibrant art scene, especially its public murals, the Pride crosswalk, Black History Matters and similar street art is different. <\/p>\n \u201cWhile a picture of a flower or a marine scene are valid and beautiful, those are decorative; these are community statements,\u201d Gascot said. <\/p>\n The murals are also a welcoming greeting to the many tourists who visit the area.<\/p>\n
Supporters of the street murals believe state leaders are actually targeting cities, including St. Petersburg, with diverse communities. <\/p>\n