Part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s agenda — aligned with President Trump’s administration — is to remove “political ideologies” from public spaces; recently, the Texas Capitol ordered the removal of all rainbow crosswalks from Texas streets.
On Wednesday, Abbott released a statement directing the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to ensure cities comply with federal and state roadway safety standards. The order warns that state and federal road funding may be withheld from any city that fails to comply.
“Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways,” said Abbott in the statement. “Today, I directed the Texas Department of Transportation to ensure Texas counties and cities remove any and all political ideologies from our streets.”
The directive follows the recent repainting of rainbow crosswalks in Montrose, Houston’s historically LGBTQ+ neighborhood, which were restored earlier this month after being temporarily removed for road work. Abbott did not cite any specific event in his order, but it came shortly after social media attention from right-wing account Libs of TikTok, who posted about the Montrose crosswalk’s return.
In a press release, Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director Marc Williams stated that “pavement markings such as decorative crosswalks, murals, or markings conveying artwork or other messages are prohibited” unless they serve a traffic control or safety function. Cities and counties have been given 30 days to comply, with the possibility of exceptions for safety-related justifications.
The move aligns with a July 2025 letter from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who encouraged governors to remove artwork and “political messages” from roadways.
Florida has also taken similar action, with the Florida Department of Transportation recently removing rainbow crosswalks in cities like Miami Beach and Orlando.
Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin, who represents the district where the Montrose crosswalk is located, criticized the order.
“While Abbott wastes time twiddling on unhinged stunts and an obsession with paint colors, over a million Texans may lose their health care coverage, grocery prices are skyrocketing, Houstonians are at risk of flooding and extreme weather, we have real problems that deserve real leadership,” Kamin said in a recent statement to Axios Houston.
