In a move that has ignited fierce debate across Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has ordered cities and counties to remove rainbow crosswalks and other non-standard road markings that he claims promote "political ideologies." The directive, issued on October 8, 2025, threatens to withhold state and federal transportation funding from any municipality that fails to comply within 30 days—a timeline that has local leaders, activists, and residents scrambling to respond.
The order, detailed in a letter from Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) executive director Marc Williams, prohibits decorative crosswalks, murals, or markings conveying artwork or other messages unless they serve a direct traffic control or safety function. "This prohibition includes the use of symbols, flags, or other markings conveying any message or communications," Williams wrote. The letter was sent to every city and county in Texas, making clear that the state is serious about enforcing uniformity on its roadways.
Governor Abbott echoed the rationale in a public statement, declaring, "Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways." He added, "I directed the Texas Department of Transportation to ensure Texas counties and cities remove any and all political ideologies from our streets."
This sweeping mandate comes on the heels of a July 2025 letter from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who urged governors to remove political messaging and artwork from roads and threatened to withhold federal funding for non-compliance. Duffy posted on social media, "Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks. Political banners have no place on public roads."
The impact of Abbott's order is already being felt in cities like Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, where rainbow crosswalks have become cherished community landmarks. In Dallas, the City Council approved ten rainbow crosswalks along Cedar Springs Road in 2019 as a nod to Oak Lawn's pivotal role in Texas' gay rights movement. Many of these crossings, painted and maintained with community donations, have faded over the years but remain potent symbols of pride, inclusion, and belonging. The North Texas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce lamented, "What began as an act of love and civic pride is now being mischaracterized as a political controversy. That is disheartening."
Houston's Montrose neighborhood, home to the well-known rainbow crosswalk at Taft and Westheimer, faces a similar reckoning. The crosswalk, installed in 2017 to memorialize Alex Hill—a 21-year-old killed in a hit-and-run at the intersection in 2016—was just repainted on October 1, 2025, after being temporarily removed for repaving. Now, it too is slated for removal. Houston Metro, the city's transit authority, announced it would re-stripe the pavement to comply with federal design and safety standards but did not specify when the removal would occur. "We recognize the significance this crosswalk has to the community ... We will comply with the order to preserve support that is essential to our mission of providing safe, clean, reliable, and accessible transit to all communities that depend on our services," Metro stated.
Local leaders and residents in Houston have voiced their frustration and sadness at the impending loss. Annise Parker, former Houston mayor and a Montrose resident, questioned the priority of the order: "Why does the governor of Texas think this is the highest priority for him, with all the other challenges facing our state, to erase a crosswalk." Jack Valinski, president of the Neartown Montrose Super Neighborhood, emphasized the crosswalk's symbolism: "It’s already been paid for. So it’s not costing any money to keep it, it’s costing money to take it down. This is a symbolization of our community who has strong ties to this area of town and the fact that we didn’t have rights in this town and now they want to erase it."
Community members are not taking the decision lying down. Protests are being organized, and advocates have taken to social media to raise awareness. Jovon Tyler, a former resident and candidate for Houston City Council, warned, "This is a symbol of welcome and folks are safe here. I think if this is painted over again it’s going to send the opposite message along with banning books, telling people what they can and cannot say. This is going to send a signal that folks are unwelcome." Houston resident Davis Mendoza Darusman added, "Of all the important things that Gov. Greg Abbott could be focusing on, like health care or disaster relief, he’s picking fights with a roadway, a rainbow crosswalk."
The controversy extends beyond rainbow crosswalks. In Austin, the directive threatens not only the Pride-themed crossing at Fourth and Colorado streets but also the "Black Artists Matter" mural on 11th Street—both powerful symbols of inclusion and local culture. The city has stated it "will comply" with the new guidelines, but activists like Brigitte Bandit, a drag queen and member of Austin's LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission, see the move as part of a broader pattern. "They're just scapegoating trans Texans and queer people and trying to make us scared ... even to the point of removing a crosswalk, you know? That does not harm anybody. That doesn't do anything. It's about purposely trying to erase us from feeling welcomed, from being seen, from being supported and from being celebrated," Bandit said.
The directive's reach is wide. San Antonio officials expressed skepticism about the state's authority to force removal of their local crosswalks, but the threat of losing crucial transportation funding looms large. Cities and counties now face a difficult choice: comply with the order and erase symbols that represent years of progress and community identity, or risk the loss of vital infrastructure dollars.
Supporters of Abbott's order argue that public roadways should remain neutral and free from any messages—political, social, or otherwise—that could distract drivers or cause confusion. TxDOT's letter cited concerns that non-standard markings "may cause confusion, reduce roadway uniformity, and impair the effectiveness of both human and automated vehicle navigation." For these advocates, the issue is one of safety and proper stewardship of taxpayer funds.
Opponents, however, see the move as an unnecessary and targeted attack on marginalized communities. Irving Suarez, a Houston resident and member of the LGBTQ+ community, summed up the sentiment: "I think it’s pretty messed up because it means a lot to people in the LGBTQ+ community, which I am myself. It’s just a sidewalk with colors, how bad is that? People are still going to be who they are. We ain’t going nowhere."
As the 30-day deadline approaches, cities across Texas are weighing their options, and the debate over the future of rainbow crosswalks and other public art is far from settled. Whether these symbols ultimately survive or are scrubbed from the streets, the passions they inspire—and the conversations about identity, inclusion, and belonging—are sure to persist.
