SAN ANTONIO – The City of San Antonio said it has no current plans to remove the rainbow crosswalks in the Pride Cultural Heritage District.
This comes a day after Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to enforce the removal of “all political ideologies” from Texas streets, citing concerns of distractions for drivers.
A community meeting was held Thursday night in San Antonio’s Pride district, where residents discussed the topic.
Lyn-Z Andrews, the forum’s host, said the crosswalks are “a symbol of being who we are.”
On July 1, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean. P. Duffy sent a letter to every governor about the SAFE ROADS initiative. The letter stated all “intersections and crosswalks need to be kept free from distractions,” including “political messages of any nature, artwork or anything else that detracts from the core mission of driver and pedestrian safety.”
On Wednesday, Gov. Abbott told TxDOT to ensure all Texas counties and cities complied with these roadway safety guidelines. He warned about the dangers of roads that are distracting and threatened consequences, like withholding certain funding for cities that refuse to comply.
TxDOT then sent a letter to local jurisdictions, warning of a 30-day timeline to ensure compliance.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) will re-stripe the pavement of one Houston intersection to comply with Abbott’s directive.
On Thursday, City of San Antonio officials said there are “no immediate plans to make changes to any roadways.”
In a statement sent to KSAT, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said the city attorney and city manager are waiting for more information from TxDOT to understand “the full scope of what may be impacted.”
“As Mayor, I remain committed to balancing our community’s transportation needs with ensuring everyone in our community feels safe, welcomed and supported,” she said.
Organizers at Thursday’s community forum focused most of the discussion on an ordinance still in the early stages. They said this ordinance would increase protections for people who are transgender, nonbinary or intersex.
KSAT was told the ordinance does not have a timeline and will likely be brought to city council as a council consideration request through District 2.
“No matter what, they cannot take away our pride,” Andrews said.
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