The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has notified the City of Pensacola regarding a five-year-old street mural that has become the center of a compliance dispute. In a letter dated August 21, District 3 Secretary Tim Smith gave the city two weeks to address what the state considers “noncompliant” pavement markings on North A Street.
- Background: The markings in question are the words “Black Lives Matter” that local artists painted on A Street back on June 27, 2020. What began as a community expression during a period of national social unrest has now run afoul of state and federal transportation mandates, according to FDOT officials. Failure to comply by September 4 could result in state intervention and financial penalties that would jeopardize Pensacola’s state funding.
City Asks for Help
Rather than scrambling to meet the tight deadline with city resources, Reeves reached out directly to Secretary Smith over the weekend to propose an alternative solution.
“We respectfully request that FDOT handle the execution of this mandate,” Reeves explained at his weekly press conference.
The mayor outlined three key factors behind this request:
- Resource constraints: The city’s limited manpower would be stretched thin to meet such a tight deadline
- Infrastructure priorities: Pensacola has numerous pressing projects, including potholes and sidewalks at critical levels
- Proximity complications: The mural’s location near Cervantes Street—the area’s largest east-west corridor—would require complex coordination with state road operations
According to Reeves, FDOT appeared receptive to the city’s position during their Sunday morning discussion. The mayor stressed that this isn’t about resisting compliance, but it’s about finding the most efficient path forward.
- “We don’t take our relationship with FDOT for granted,” Reeves noted. “This wasn’t any adversarial threat of non-compliance—we’re asking partners how to execute the mandate in the best way possible.”
While FDOT hasn’t provided a completion timeline, Mayor Reeves indicated the District Secretary would handle the mural’s removal.
Here is the follow-up letter the city sent to FDOT: FDOT Response Letter [Signed]