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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. In the exemption letter, the city manager wrote that the Oak Lawn rainbow crosswalks have not created any safety issues, removing them would require public money not included in the city's budget, and they're a form of self-expression that should be protected. Dallas asks for crosswalk exemption The latest: The 30-day deadline is up for cities to comply with Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to remove displays of political ideology from roadways, effectively targeting rainbow crosswalks in support of the LGBTQ+ community. On Thursday, the City of Dallas asked the Texas Department of Transportation for an exemption to keep the rainbow crosswalks at Cedar Springs and Throckmorton in Dallas. Featured Dallas City Councilman Paul Ridley, who represents the Oak Lawn area, said an exemption was the decision he wanted the city to make. He said he wants to protect his constituents' right to free expression. In the letter to TxDOT, the city manager cited several reasons for the request, including a lack of public funds to remove the privately funded crosswalks, the protection of self-expression and no supportive data that shows the crosswalks are a public safety risk. 'There is no justification’ What they're saying: "And in fact, there is a national survey by Bloomberg that indicates that traffic accidents actually decline substantially at crosswalks that were painted in a non-standard fashion, and so that was a big argument, was that there is no justification for the state saying that these present a safety risk, and in fact, just the opposite," Ridley said. In addition to the removal of the crosswalks, several other moves made by state lawmakers have brought changes surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity. State Rep. Venton Jones (D-Dallas) believes there are bigger issues to tackle. "All of these attacks on social issues when we should be focusing on our economy, on providing health care, we should be focused on making sure people can afford to live where they're staying right now," Jones said. Featured "It's something that is very concerning because, once again, it's not just about crosswalks, it's about these coordinated actions," Jones continued. "Every citizen has a right to free expression, and that's what this amounts to. It is the government trying to clamp down on the right of free expression," said Ridley. What's next: The city manager says the city will continue to find ways to showcase neighborhood identity and beautification efforts. While there's no timeframe on when TxDOT will make a decision on the exemption, Ridley says people are already starting to suggest ideas to keep the identity of the neighborhood alive, like rainbow flags on light poles, painting sidewalks and murals on private buildings. Texas crosswalk removal The backstory: Some major Texas cities have complied with Abbott, not wishing to risk TxDOT projects. A well-known rainbow crosswalk in Houston's Montrose neighborhood was set for removal less than two weeks after Abbott's order. Austin was given 30 days by TxDOT to remove their markings, including rainbow crosswalks on Fourth Street and Eleventh Street's '"Black Artists Matter" mural. Related Laredo is the latest Texas city to remove a political road sign. Their "Defund the Wall" mural was painted on the street in front of the federal courthouse in Laredo prior to being removed at the end of October.
