On Wednesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott instructed the Department of Transportation to tighten roadway safety regulations across the state, ensuring cities and counties eliminate “any and all political ideologies from our streets.”

The directive could include installations like downtown Austin’s iconic rainbow-colored crosswalk.

“Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways,” Abbott said. 

Under the governor’s orders, TxDOT must make certain that all counties and cities remove any political influences from Texas roads. Abbott stated, “To ensure safe and undistracted movement throughout Texas, we need to uphold a secure and uniform transportation network across the state.”

Back in August, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to governors nationwide, encouraging them to be part of a national road safety campaign. As per earlier reports, this campaign involved the removal of artwork or political messages from streets.

Duffy didn’t specifically point to rainbow crosswalks, but suggested those types of displays were unsafe. 

What happens if cities don’t comply? 

The announcement specified that cities failing to comply might face repercussions, including the loss or denial of state and federal road funds, as well as the suspension of agreements with TxDOT.

Other metroplexes in Texas such as Dallas, Houston and San Antonio also have rainbow crosswalks installed on their roadways.

The city of Austin unveiled the rainbow crosswalk landmark located at the intersection of 4th and Colorado streets in 2021.