A rainbow crosswalk, “Black Artists Matter” road art and the “TEXAS” crosswalk on Guadalupe Street could be at risk after the Texas Department of Transportation ordered Austin jurisdictions to remove all noncompliant street art by Nov. 7, according to an Oct. 8 TxDOT letter.
The order would ban decorative crosswalks, murals or any other artwork on roadways unless they serve a safety function, according to the TxDOT letter. If it does not comply, the city could lose state and federal funding. The order comes after a July 1 federal directive to state governors mandating the removal of political messages from roadways. Gov. Greg Abbott ordered TxDOT to enforce the requirement on Oct. 8, according to a news release.
“Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways,” Abbott said in the release. “Any city that refuses to comply with the federal road standards will face consequences including the withholding or denial of state and federal road funding and suspension of agreements with TxDOT.”
The city is still determining which locations are subject to the recent directive. The order specifically targets artwork with “political messages,” which could include the rainbow crosswalk on Fourth and Colorado streets and the “Black Artists Matter” road art on 11th Street. However, markings without political messages, such as the “TEXAS” crosswalk on Guadalupe Street, could also be at risk.
Transportation engineering professor Kara Kockelman said she is personally a fan of the “TEXAS” crosswalk on Guadalupe and other roadway art, but she thinks painting them black and white is a helpful safety measure.
“We try to keep things very standardized in the roadspace so that people don’t make the wrong decision and hurt each other,” Kockelman wrote in an email. “One example of this is how stop signs and street signs have very specific formatting. It keeps cognitive load down for motorists in what is a very complex and potentially very dangerous task.”
According to the Houston Chronicle, cities such as Galveston and Houston have already begun removing street art. According to Texas Public Radio, San Antonio is seeking an exception from the state, which can be granted if there is a “public safety benefit” to keeping the art.
The city of Austin is seeking a similar exception. However, Mayor Kirk Watson wrote in an Oct. 20 message board post he does not expect the request to be granted. He proposed creating a task force that would examine how to reflect “Austin’s love, diversity and creativity” in ways that do not disobey federal or state requirements.
“You want to take away a crosswalk that symbolizes how we value equality and love for all?” Watson wrote. “Well, we’ll raise you. We’re going to do more to show our love, respect and appreciation for all our people, and we’re going to do it in a way that is clearly Austin.”
