The City Commission on Sept. 3 heard from the Council on Culture & Arts and neighborhood advocates about the safety impacts of painted crosswalks and murals removed after a Florida Department of Transportation directive.

Lede: Kathleen Spihar of the Council on Culture & Arts told commissioners that localized painted crosswalks and a mural in the Greater Bond neighborhood were associated with substantial drops in moving violations and increases in crosswalk use where they were installed, and she asked the city to work with FDOT and Leon County to restore safety treatments and invest in placemaking.

Nut graf: COCA supplied before-and-after figures from three intersections in the neighborhood showing reductions in stop-sign violations, speeding and other moving violations (some reductions reported at 40–80% depending on the location). Commissioners and staff acknowledged FDOT raised safety and maintenance concerns and said staff are actively exploring compliant alternatives — including textured or imprinted pavement treatments — and discussing options with FDOT.

Details: COCA representative said data from Saxton and Tucker, Saxon and Osceola, and Saxton and Linear showed marked reductions in stop-sign and speeding violations after murals and painted crosswalks were installed. The city and FDOT have since removed some of the treatments because of a state-level directive; residents and arts leaders called that removal a public-safety setback.

City response: Staff said they are evaluating alternatives that meet FDOT standards. The manager explained that some resurfacing or pavement-treatment methods require fresh asphalt; others (a pave-way product applied as a thin overlay) have a friction coefficient that can meet standards but may wear over time. Staff said they would continue discussions with FDOT and seek clarity about potential state assistance for replacements.

Outcome: Commissioners requested continued coordination among city staff, FDOT and stakeholders to find compliant safety and placemaking solutions. Several commissioners asked staff to pursue leads from FDOT about approved textured pavements and, if feasible, to explore funding options.