The Texas Department of Transportation rejected the city of Austin’s request to preserve roadway art on May 18, following an order from the agency to remove legally noncompliant street art.
The “TEXAS” crosswalk on The Drag, the “Black Lives Matter” road art on East 11th Street and rainbow crosswalks on West 4th Street are some artworks the state ordered to be either removed or altered. The state said the art does not “emphasize uniformity and predictability.” The city must submit an action plan detailing the future of these pieces by June 22, or risk losing federal and state funding and suspending agreements with TxDOT.
“After careful review, the current markings are not acceptable and do not fully comply with the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices,” wrote George Villarreal, director of the traffic safety division for TxDOT, in a letter to the city.
The removal order comes after a July 2025 federal directive for state governors to identify any street art deemed a “distraction,” including “political messages.” In October 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered TxDOT to enforce federal and state road laws, according to the governor’s press release.
“Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways,” Abbott wrote in the release. “To keep Texans moving safely and free from distraction, we must maintain a safe and consistent transportation network across Texas.”
After the order, Mayor Kirk Watson and the Austin City Council created the Public Spaces Task Force from a group of 22 Austin community leaders and creatives. The task force was entrusted to assess and propose different artwork alternatives that comply with regulations while maintaining the city’s culture.
The task force suggested art boxes, murals or economic districts as safe and compliant alternatives to roadway art.
“The (Public Spaces Task Force) has and will continue to guide a respectful, community-led transition of these street markings into lasting public spaces that reflect Austin’s history, diversity, and shared values,” wrote Richard Mendoza, director of Austin Transportation and Public Works, in a memo.
Transportation engineering professor Kara Kockelman said roadway art has potential safety benefits, like causing drivers to pay more attention to pedestrians and the road. However, she understands the reasons behind the directive, as designs like those of the “TEXAS” crosswalk can create confusion in high-traffic areas, she said.
“As much as I would love to see (the) addition of designs to these blank, empty dull spaces, adding a lot of color and white lines like the word ‘Texas’ gets pretty confusing in that crosswalk area,” Kockelman said. “That can obscure key pavement information in busy corridors … (and) create some added crash risk.”
