The city of Dallas is seeking an exemption from Gov. Greg Abbott’s Oct. 8 directive that instructed Texas cities and counties to remove “political ideologies” including flags and symbols from public roadways.
City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert announced the decision on Thursday evening, a day before the deadline set by the Texas Department of Transportation for statewide compliance.
TxDOT will grant exceptions based on “a demonstrated public safety benefit or compelling justification,” according to the department’s executive director, Marc Williams, who addressed Texas transportation officials in a letter on Oct. 8.
It’s unclear when TxDOT will hand down its decision, but in the meantime, the city of Dallas is exploring “other opportunities for neighborhood identity and beautification efforts,” Tolbert said in a statement.
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Uncertainty has loomed in recent weeks over the future of South Dallas crosswalks painted with the protest slogan “All Black Lives Matter” and rainbow crosswalks in the historically LGBTQ neighborhood of Oak Lawn.
Texas municipalities that refuse to comply with Abbott’s order risk losing federal and transportation funding. Dallas joins San Antonio and Austin in seeking an exemption to retain some street art.
In other Texas cities, like Galveston and Houston, city officials have removed rainbow crosswalks in response to Abbott’s order.
Such installations are regarded as symbols of pride and inclusion for the LGBTQ community. In Oak Lawn, concerned residents and LGBTQ advocates staged a rally recently in opposition to Abbott’s order. A neighborhood church also painted its front steps with the colors of the rainbow in a gesture of solidarity that went viral.
The rainbow crosswalks have increasingly become embroiled in national culture wars.
Abbott’s order echoed a July memo from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who called upon governors to join a federal initiative aimed at improving road safety and freeing roads of “distractions.” “Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork,” Duffy wrote.
Dallas City Council member Adam Bazaldua, who represents South Dallas, described Abbott’s order as “political posturing.”
“As a state leading the nation with uninsured residents, increased gun violence, devastating maternity mortality rates and severely underpaid public education, it’s sad to see issues like this being a priority and waste of everyone’s time,” Bazaldua said in a text message. “Keeping or replacing public art does nothing to improve the lives of everyday Texans, which should be the focus of our states elected leaders.”