Activist Kevin Cox Draws Chalk Crosswalk, City Calls Vandalism, 12-Month Risk

Activist Kevin Cox made headlines by chalking a crosswalk at Charlottesvilleâs Elliot Avenue, protesting city inaction after a 2024 pedestrian fatality. Armed with spray chalk, not paint, Coxâs street art triggered misdemeanor vandalism charges and a potential $2,500 fine. âItâs not going to stop me,â he declared.
Coxâs defiant move followed months of ignored safety pleas and a fatal crash at the intersection. The city erased his chalk lines with black paint, but the legal fallout continues, with a July 14 trial date set. âThere is a marked crosswalk now⌠Itâs chalk, not paint,â Cox emailed city officials.
Charlottesville police couldnât tell if Coxâs lines were chalk or paintâso the city painted over them in black.