FDOT has removed the checkered flag design outside of Daytona International Speedway
If you went to Daytona International Speedway over the weekend, you likely walked across a checkered flag design in the crosswalk.
Until this week, Daytona International Speedway featured a checkered flag crosswalk in the street that sits in front of the speedway entrance. It was painted over on Wednesday.
Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) painted over the checkered flag crosswalk. The checkered design was painted at the intersection of Bill France Boulevard and International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach, Florida.
It’s part of a crackdown on street art issued by FDOT and supported by Governor Ron DeSantis. The crackdown began with a rainbow crosswalk at the Pulse nightclub memorial in Orlando.
State officials have stated that messaging within the street art across the state is irrelevant. The leaders want all of it gone.
They are calling it, “a statewide standardization of those designs.”
Ron DeSantis comments on street art
“The Florida legislature passed a law that was very clear, we’re not doing the commandeering of the roads to put up messaging,” DeSantis said at the press conference. “We’ve made the policy decision in Florida that we’re not going to use the roads for that purpose.”
They are clear that there are no exceptions.
“The roads are there for either pedestrians to cross or cars to go, and that’s what it’s going to be,” DeSantis said.
“I think it’s just a change in policy, and we don’t want to be in a situation where we’re playing whack-a-mole. So, ‘Oh, well, no, that mural’s fine, but that’s not. We think the pedestrians may get confused there. We think a driver, oh no, that’s fine.’ “
“Because then you get into like, ‘Oh, there’s a content thing and all that.’ No, we’re just not doing it.”
The checkered flag crosswalk has been in place since 2021.
