Texas is the latest state to join the campaign against rainbow crosswalks and Pride-themed street art. Governor Greg Abbott has announced that Texas will follow federal Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s directive to keep roadways “free from distractions,” mirroring Florida’s earlier crackdown on colorful public art.
The Texas Department of Transportation sent a memo to local governments stating: “Pavement markings such as decorative crosswalks, murals, or markings conveying artwork or other messages are prohibited on travel lanes, shoulders, intersections, and crosswalks unless they serve a direct traffic control or safety function.”
That order means cities like Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio have just 30 days to paint over rainbow crosswalks—or risk losing state funding. Florida has already made similar moves, removing rainbow crosswalks in places like Miami Beach and even the one outside Orlando’s Pulse nightclub. Yet research suggests these artistic crossings make streets safer—a 2022 Bloomberg study found decorated crosswalks saw a 50 percent drop in collisions.
