ORLANDO, Fla. — After the Pulse nightclub tragedy, the crosswalk leading to the memorial site was painted with rainbow colors to honor the 49 lives lost on June 12, 2016 in the mass shooting.
The Florida Department of Transportation approved the project in 2017, but in the summer of 2025, its crews painted over the colors with black paint to comply with new state guidelines.
The sounds of chalking on the crosswalk can be heard just about any time of day — for more than 250 days — as people work to bring back the rainbow colors through chalk. James Houchins and Maryjane East have come to the crosswalk nearly every day since August 21, 2025…