Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to remove “any and all political ideologies” from streets across the state. The order does not call out Pride-related art, but rainbow crosswalks and Black Lives Matter messaging are the first targets, just as they were in Florida earlier this year.

“Non-standard surface markings, signage, and signals that do not directly support traffic control or safety are strictly prohibited, including the use of symbols, flags, or other markings conveying social, political, or ideological messages,” said the governor’s office as part of the announcement.

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The move from Abbott comes after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to all state governors asking them to remove political messages and artwork from roadways, intersections, and crosswalks.

“Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks,” Duffy later wrote on X.

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While Duffy’s request was made on July 1 with a 60-day deadline to identify “needed safety improvements,” most states appear to have ignored the order without consequence. Atlanta previously made it clear that it would be keeping its rainbow crosswalks, while Milwaukee responded to the order by unveiling a new rainbow crosswalk.

Florida, though, did comply with Duffy’s request. Among other street art removed was the memorial rainbow crosswalk located at the site of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. After Gov. Ron DeSantis had the memorial painted over during the night in August, local community activists came out to restore the mural with colored chalk. The state then repainted over the crosswalk before installing police to ensure that the crosswalk would not be restored again.

Officials for the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, which includes Houston, announced that they would remove rainbow crosswalks to comply with Abbott’s order. Meanwhile, representatives from San Antonio have suggested that the state does not have the authority to remove street art from the city. Records obtained by Texas Public Radio indicate that community donations covered the additional costs of the city’s rainbow crosswalk. District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur acknowledged that they could refuse to address other road issues in the city and noted that “these threats are, and it’s similar to what we’re seeing at the national level.”

GLAAD partnered with a group of LGBTQ+ organizations to release a statement in response to Abbott’s order, including Texas Latino Pride, Pride in Dallas, Dallas Social Queer Organization, ReVoyce, and Dallas Pride.

“Dallas’ Rainbow Crosswalks […] are a symbol of unity and hope and serve as a powerful display of the LGBTQ community’s resiliency and influence in North Texas. […] On the streets of Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs, we invest in our local economy; we organize and practice our First Amendment rights, and we love openly,” the statement said.

Both Sec. Duffy and Gov. Abbott highlighted safety concerns around street artwork and political messaging, suggesting that they led to higher incidents of traffic accidents and that the removal of these installations was driven by concerns for driver and pedestrian safety. Gov. DeSantis, who earlier this year recommended that drivers could drive over protesters, did not bring up road safety.

However, no officials have provided any studies to support claims that there is any increased road risk from rainbow crosswalks and other political artwork. On the contrary, a 2022 Bloomberg Philanthropies study suggested that unusual roadway art is actually tied to a decrease in the number of crashes at an intersection, making them overall safer for all road users.

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