Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
The City of San Antonio will not remove or change any street markings after Governor Greg Abbott issued a directive to remove political, social, or ideological messages from roadways, at least for now.
The directive threatened the potential to lose state and federal funding for road projects if cities do not “remedy any non-compliant” pavement markings within 30 days.
A city spokesperson said it had received the letter from the Texas Department of Transportation on Oct. 8th. “We are now working with TXDoT to understand the state’s specific areas of local concern. There are no immediate plans to make changes to any roadways, and any future changes will occur with City Council input.”
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, who is the city's first openly gay or lesbian mayor, appeared to signal on Thursday that the city may not push back on Abbott’s directive during the morning council meeting.
“We don't need crosswalks for pride, right? We don't need it, though they're nice to have, but that pride rolls on,” she said.
She added that she is committed to, “balancing our community’s transportation needs with ensuring everyone in our community feels safe, welcomed, and supported.”
The city’s crosswalk is set up at N. Main and Evergreen, the center of the newly created Pride Cultural Heritage District. District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez called Governor Abbott's actions "petty."
“He intends to be a jerk, and rather than focusing on issues that are actually gonna benefit or protect residents of Texas and San Antonio, he's seeking to do any petty little action (he) can to attack the least of us,” he said. “If he did any research, he would know that asphalt art such as the rainbow crosswalk and crosswalks across the country, actually have a tangible and material benefit to traffic safety.”
He added that the way elected officials talk about marginalized communities has a tremendous impact on young people.
“We see that LGBTQ youth, especially trans youth are committing suicide in rates that are completely unacceptable and so every opportunity that we have to demonstrate solidarity and support and inclusion, we should take and so I stand wholeheartedly with the community that has to maintain the crosswalk,” he said.
TPR's Josh Peck contributed to this report.
