Atlantic City to redo Black Lives Matter street mural after it caused traffic confusion

A Black Lives Matter mural was painted down an Atlantic City street back in September. The tribute ended up causing some issues for drivers and now the city is paying thousands of dollars to fix it.

News 12 Staff

Mar 25, 2021, 10:24 PM

Updated 1,294 days ago

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A Black Lives Matter mural was painted down an Atlantic City street back in September. The tribute ended up causing some issues for drivers and now the city is paying thousands of dollars to fix it.
The words “Black Lives Matter” were painted in yellow on Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard between Pacific and Atlantic avenues. But the tribute started to cause traffic issues.
"Once we put the all-yellow paint down and we were having issues with traffic with our police department. We had to regroup so the street has been shut down since and one option was to make it one way but the street’s too wide,” says Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. “We tried to work with the Department of Transportation, but the colors of the centerline have to be yellow and the dividing lines have to be white.”
The street has sat for months blocked off.
“Hey, look – we don’t get it right all the time. It was an oversight on our part, but we found a solution,” Small says.
The City Council approved $36,000 in funding to fix the issue.
“It’s not a lot of money for the city, for the size of us,” the mayor says. “They’re going to take it back to asphalt level. We’re going to repaint the traffic lines as it were, no Black Lives Matter there and in between the lines, we’re going to do Black Lives Matter. So, it’s just a reset,” Small says.
As the mural is replaced, Small says that he wants residents to know that the city’s commitment to the BLM movement isn’t going anywhere.
“This wasn’t just about painting yellow paint on the road and you walk away. We’re going to do meaningful things through the month of September,” says Small. “We’re going to gather there that Labor Day weekend, on the Friday, and will start there. Will have some outdoor activities throughout the month. We’re going to engage the entire community.”
The city says they're planning to re-dedicate the mural on MLK Boulevard once it is done this spring. They will also name September Black Lives Matter Month in Atlantic City.