FDOT orders Sarasota to remove crosswalk and sidewalk paintings

A memo issued by the Florida Department of Transportation requires local governments to comply with roadway and sidewalk marking standards or risk losing funding.

By Andrew Warfield
| 5:00 a.m. July 28, 2025

The crosswalk paintings at the intersection of Cocoanut Avenue, Pineapple Avenue and Second Street is noncompliant with state policy.

Sarasota
News

Non-standard sidewalk and roadway markings are no longer permitted along any streets and highways throughout Florida, and Sarasota is no exception.

In a memorandum written by Florida Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue dated June 30, 2025, local governments were informed of department policy that “all traffic control devices, including pavement surface markings, be compliant with the FDOT Design Manual and the Manual of Uniform Minimum Standards for Design, Construction and Maintenance for Streets and Highways.”

That includes any sidewalk art and pedestrian crossings on roadways. In Sarasota, the policy enforcement includes three installations.

Sidewalk paintings such as these along Pineapple Avenue in Burns Court are noncompliant with FDOT standards. The city risks state funding if not removed, according to city staff.

A statement from the city reads, “Based on FDOT’s June (30), 2025 memo, city staff have determined three installations in the city limits may not comply with FDOT standards and may be subject to removal.”

Those installations are:

Crosswalk art at the Cocoanut Avenue, Pineapple Avenue and Second Street intersection.
Crosswalk art at 1400 Main St.
Sidewalk art on Pineapple Avenue and Orange Avenue.

“City staff are seeking clarification from FDOT regarding who would be responsible for potentially removing the pavement markings and who would cover the cost,” the city statement concludes.

Perdue’s memo cites concerns caused by non-standard surface markings, signage and signals that do not directly contribute to safety or controls, which can lead to distractions or misunderstandings among drivers and pedestrians. It also states that consistent application of pavement surface markings is critical to operations of autonomous vehicles as those technologies heavily rely on uniform markings.

According to the memo, FDOT may enforce compliance by withholding state funds from local governments found to be in violation of the policy.

Reads the memorandum, “Any identified non-compliant traffic control devices or pavement markings currently installed on Florida public roads are to be immediately remedied, i.e., removed, modified or replaced as required for conformity with FDOT policy and standards.”

It further states, “Permission to allow non-compliant traffic control devices or pavement markings to remain may be granted at the Department's discretion, if the public agency is able to demonstrate good cause for doing so.”

Although not confirmed, the fate of the annual Chalk Fest in Burns Court is in doubt base on a policy notification issued by the Florida Department of Transportation. — Although not confirmed, the fate of the annual Sarasota Chalk Festival in Burns Court is in doubt based on a policy notification issued by the Florida Department of Transportation.

One of those good causes may be the annual Sarasota Chalk Festival in Burns Court, which features chalk art on sidewalks. The memorandum is not clear on temporary installations and no city officials would speculate on such instances,

Chalk Festival organizer Denise Kowal declined to comment on the impact the policy may have on the event until further clarity is available. The Observer reached out to state officials regarding that question and has not received a response.

author

Andrew Warfield

Andrew Warfield is the Sarasota Observer city reporter. He is a four-decade veteran of print media. A Florida native, he has spent most of his career in the Carolinas as a writer and editor, nearly a decade as co-founder and editor of a community newspaper in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.