Dallas ordered to remove 'political' road markings by end of January

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Rainbow crosswalks being installed in downtown Austin for National Coming Out Day, October 2021 (FOX 7)

DALLAS - The state of Texas has given the city of Dallas until the end of January to remove decorative pavement markings, including the rainbow crosswalks in Oak Lawn and the "Black Lives Matter" mural on MLK Boulevard, or risk losing millions in infrastructure funding.

TX gives Dallas until Jan. 31 to remove rainbow crosswalks

Cedar Springs Dallas rainbow crosswalks

The backstory:

The standoff began Oct. 8, 2025, when Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the removal of "political" road markings. He argued these non-standard designs violate state uniformity standards and could distract drivers.

In November, Dallas officials requested an exemption, arguing the Oak Lawn crosswalks were privately funded, created no safety issues and represented protected self-expression.

TxDOT rejects Dallas crosswalk exemption

What's New:

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) rejected that request Monday morning.

According to a memo from the Dallas city manager, TxDOT cited a lack of proper certification and general non-compliance as the primary reasons for the denial. Specifically, the city failed to provide a document signed and sealed by a licensed traffic engineer certifying the markings are safe.

They also said the markings do not meet the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices requirements, which serves as the legal rulebook for road design.

TxDOT warned that failure to comply by Jan. 31 could result in the withholding of state and federal funds or the suspension of existing agreements between the state and the city.

Dallas asks TxDOT for crosswalk removal exemption

The City of Dallas has asked for an exemption to a recent state order that all "political" road markings be removed, under the threat of losing access to road project funding.

Dallas representatives push back on removal of decorative crosswalks

Dallas Councilman Chad West on rainbow crosswalks

Dallas councilman Chad West talks about the effort to remove rainbow crosswalks by Gov. Greg Abbott.

What they're saying:

City Councilman Paul Ridley, who represents Oak Lawn, criticized the state’s safety claims by citing a national survey by Bloomberg. He noted that the data indicates traffic accidents actually decline substantially at crosswalks painted in a non-standard fashion, arguing that there is no justification for the state to label these as a safety risk.

State Rep. Venton Jones, D-Dallas, also pushed back against the directive, calling it a distraction from more pressing issues like the economy, health care and housing affordability.

Have all Texas cities removed rainbow crosswalks?

Dallas community reacts to threat on rainbow crosswalks

Dallas could lose state funding if rainbow crosswalks and other similar displays are not painted over. The Texas Department of Public Transportation said cities must remove street art with ?political ideologies" within 30 days.

Big picture view:

Dallas is one of the last major holdouts in the state as other cities have already complied to avoid losing project funding. A rainbow crosswalk in Houston's Montrose neighborhood was removed in October, while Austin was given 30 days to remove its rainbow crosswalks on Fourth Street and a "Black Artists Matter" mural. Also, Laredo officials removed a "Defund the Wall" mural in late October to satisfy the state's requirements.

Oak Lawn church paints Pride steps to defy Abbott

The governor is giving 30 days for crosswalks with political messaging to be removed. We’re not yet at that deadline and there are uncertainties regarding what will happen in Dallas.

What's next:

Dallas must submit a removal plan or a new exemption request, complete with a licensed engineer’s seal, by Jan. 31. Meanwhile, some local organizations are finding workarounds.

Oak Lawn United Methodist Church recently painted its front steps in rainbow colors. Because the steps are on private, historic property rather than a public street, they fall under the jurisdiction of the Dallas Landmark Commission rather than TxDOT.

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