DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – First, it was the rainbow crosswalk at the Pulse memorial in Orlando. Now, another iconic street design is gone.
Overnight, state crews repainted the checkered-flag crosswalks outside Daytona International Speedway into plain white lines.
The Speedway confirmed the Florida Department of Transportation ordered the change, part of what Gov. Ron DeSantis has described as a “statewide standardization” of crosswalk designs.
Local residents told News 6 the decision doesn’t make sense.
“Well, actually, I didn’t know anything about it,” said Charles McDowell, a Daytona Beach resident. “I really don’t understand what’s a big deal, you know?”
Another driver, Kyle Plain, said he passes the crosswalk several times a day and never found it distracting.
“I think it fits the area well. The racetrack’s here, it’s good,” Plain said. “It never distracted me, but I think the checkered flag looks good in the road with the racetrack right here.”
The removal follows backlash over the state’s decision to repaint the rainbow crosswalk at the Pulse nightclub memorial in Orlando earlier this month, sparking national headlines and grassroots efforts to restore it.
[WATCH BELOW: Rainbow crosswalk repainted outside Pulse; Florida troopers seen standing by]
While the checkered flags don’t carry the same symbolism, some say the state’s decision sends the same message.
“No negative, nothing whatsoever,” said Robert Green, a local resident. “It’s really all about safety and obviously, if you do it for one, you’ve got to do it for everyone.”
FDOT has not said if more decorative crosswalks in Volusia County will be removed. For many racing fans, however, the loss of this one feels like the end of an era.
News 6 reached out to FDOT for clarification on why the Daytona repainting was done now and whether other local crosswalks could be impacted. As of Wednesday, the agency has not responded.