Crews contracted by the Florida Department of Transportation, accompanied by state troopers, arrived in Delray Beach in the early morning hours Wednesday to repaint the intersection at NE 2nd Avenue and NE 1st Street, which has been home to a rainbow-colored Pride Flag display for several years. The state, in line with new federal guidelines, recently ordered municipalities across Florida to remove non-standard “surface art” and politically-themed displays on public roadways, with Delray Beach becoming the focal point of debate after officials refused to follow the state’s directive.
Crews from FDOT first came to paint over the intersection overnight between Monday and Tuesday, but foul weather led to the road paint quickly deteriorating and the rainbow colors reappearing by nightfall. The city council held a meeting to discuss the issue after its attempt at an administrative appeal of the state’s order failed, however officials conceded that – at least for the time being – the state’s action “cannot be undone.”
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
Delray Beach’s ‘Pride Intersection’ in the Pineapple Grove neighborhood. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
After 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, crews returned to the site, blocked off the four streets surrounding the intersection, and began painting over the rainbow design. By 3:45 a.m., crews were finishing up the work and letting the paint dry, as two Florida Highway Patrol vehicles were parked on either side of the avenue. There were no signs of either protesters or supporters, with two news reporters representing the only bystanders. No one at the scene was available to comment, however the paint appeared to be permanent in nature, with the street itself colored in an asphalt-like shade of black and the crosswalks marked in gray and white.
On Tuesday night, the city commission voted 3-1 to join several other cities, including Miami Beach and Ft. Lauderdale, in a class action lawsuit against the state to overturn the FDOT decision to prohibit the intersection designs. The meeting attracted mostly activists from various LGBT organizations, with Vice Mayor Rob Long – a Democrat running for the Florida House of Representatives in the 90th district – leading the effort to lobby his colleagues. Mayor Tom Carney cast the lone dissenting vote on joining the lawsuit, cautioning commissioners that picking a fight with Tallahassee could lead to a loss of funding for future projects.
Delray Beach’s ‘Pride Intersection’ in the Pineapple Grove neighborhood. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
FDOT contractors remove a rainbow-colored ‘Pride Intersection’ in Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
The intersection, located within the city’s Pineapple Grove arts district, was painted in 2021. According to the city’s website, six colors of the “traditional Pride flag” are painted at the intersection, as well as five additional colors of the “Progress Pride flag,” which represent “people of color, and trans and non-binary individuals.”
Delray Beach has long been known for its progressive political stances, though local politics has begun to see a shift as the city undergoes significant redevelopment and Palm Beach County adds more and more Republican voters, chipping away at a long-held Democratic majority. In 2016, Democrats held a 114,260 voter lead county-wide, which plunged to 42,784 by the end of 2024.
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