U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy first raised the issue in July in a letter sent to governors across the country, requesting that the non-standard roadway art be removed in the name of safety. At the time, Duffy issued a statement, saying, “Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork. Today I am calling on governors in every state to ensure that roadways, intersections, and crosswalks are kept free of distractions. Far too many Americans die each year to traffic fatalities to take our eye off the ball.”
In October, Governor Abbott issued a mandate aligned with Secretary Duffy’s request that gave cities thirty days to remove the markings or face financial consequences. In an October 8 press release, Abbott warned city leaders of the consequences, saying, “Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, n ot advance political agendas on Texas roadways. Any city that refuses to comply with the federal road standards will face consequences, including the withholding or denial of state and federal road funding and suspension of agreements with TxDOT.”
As the deadline nears, San Antonio leaders have yet to remove rainbow-painted crosswalks near the city’s historic downtown area. The city chose, instead, to apply to TxDOT for an extension. The rainbow-painted crosswalks adorn the intersection of North Main Avenue and West Evergreen Street. They have been a fixture in the area for more than seven years. TxDOT has not yet responded to city officials.
On Wednesday, Breitbart Texas visited the area, which city officials designated as the “Pride Cultural Heritage District” in June. The crosswalks remained, and no work by city officials to remove the artwork was taking place. For commuters passing through the area and residents moving in and out, it was business as usual.
Despite the deadline approaching with no movement to remove the rainbow-painted crosswalks, all signs from the city’s mayor point to an acknowledgment that any battle to keep the artwork at the risk of losing state funding for roadways may not be worth fighting.
At a recent rally protesting Abbott’s order, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones told a crowd gathered at the intersection her administration will find “forward-looking paths that honor San Antonio’s diverse identity.” Despite the filing of an exemption request to avoid removing the rainbow crosswalks by Assistant City John Peterek, the demise of the non-standard traffic markings appears to be a forgone conclusion by Mayor Jones.
Jones, the city’s first openly gay mayor, stated at the October 30 gathering at the site that the city is ready to move on from the issue and will ultimately comply with the mandate if the exemption request is not granted. Capping off her remarks at the event Ortiz-Jones proclaimed, “We must be smart, realistic and effective, not just idealistic. My pride isn’t tied to a crosswalk, it’s in the people and progress of San Antonio. My pride is also tied to knowing who I am and the contributions the LGBTQ+ community has made to our city, our country, and our state.”
Houston Mayor John Whitmire called the order “counterproductive” but issued orders removing the rainbow-painted crosswalks. The city removed the crosswalks on October 20. The move sparked backlash from local officials, including Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who criticized METRO for acting too quickly.
Crews and construction machinery work on the removal of an emblematic rainbow crosswalk in the progressive Montrose neighborhood in Houston, Texas, on October 20, 2025, following state and federal orders. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he would withhold road funding from cities if they do not remove “political ideologies” from their streets after the Trump administration considered rainbow crosswalks a distraction. (Photo by Moisés ÁVILA / AFP)
Recall Houston’s Steven Saltzman directed his anger at Houston Mayor John Witmire, a lifelong Democrat, calling him a MAGA-Democrat, Breitbart Texas’s Bob Price and Lana Shadwick reported.
“We have a mayor who is more interested in appeasing Trump than defending our communities. John Whitmire has shown us what it means to be a MAGA Democrat—silent when ICE raids happen, absent when rights are stripped, and complicit when power consolidates.”
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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