DALLAS — Gov. Greg Abbott’s order requiring cities to remove rainbow crosswalks and other “political” pavement designs is drawing sharp criticism from Dallas officials and LGBTQ advocates and raising questions about whether other street art could also be affected.

Abbott issued the directive Thursday , instructing the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to ensure cities and counties remove “any and all political ideologies from our streets.” He said the move is intended to keep roads “safe and free from distraction” and warned that cities that do not comply could lose state or federal transportation funding.

TxDOT issues compliance warning

In a letter dated Oct. 8, TxDOT told local officials that the department will enforce state and federal standards requiring uniform pavem

See Full Page