(Photos by Ryan Williams-Jent)
ST. PETERSBURG | The City of St. Petersburg installed new Pride-inspired bike racks Dec. 11 in the Grand Central District near the site of its former Progressive Pride street mural.
Originally installed in 2020, an initiative led by St Pete Pride, the Florida Department of Transportation removed the mural in September as a part of its crackdown on “inconsistent pavement surface markings” statewide. Officials vowed to keep the spirit of the inclusive artwork alive in other ways.
“Make no mistake, this is not the end of the story,” St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch shared in August. “Our response will be strategic, not reactionary … It will serve us better in the long run to be strategic for our community.”
“Pride on the streets!” the City of St. Petersburg’s social media channels shared Dec. 11. “We’ve just installed 11 Pride-inspired bike racks along Central Ave and 25th St — a vibrant way to honor the Pride street murals that were removed earlier this year due to state requirements.”
The racks were funded through the City’s “long-standing public bike rack program,” they added. The colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet, the traditional Pride flag colors, and brown, black, white, pink and blue, the additions seen in the Progressive Pride flag. They represent members of the LGBTQ+ community who are the most marginalized, people of color and those who are transgender.
Watermark Out News reached out to the Grand Central District Association, which supported the effort and advised additional ways to honor the LGBTQ+ community will follow.
View the City’s announcement below:
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