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The Texas Department of Transportation denied the City of San Antonio’s request to keep its rainbow crosswalk this month. But the city has other plans for commemorating its Pride Cultural Heritage District on Main Avenue.
The city will make plans to remove the crosswalk by January 15, 2026; however, it has committed to creating a rainbow sidewalk along the intersection where the crosswalk is currently located. At a meeting of the city’s LGBTQIA+ advisory committee on Tuesday night, community members expressed frustration that the city would comply with the state’s request.
Maria Salazar, chair of the commission said Abbott’s directive is one without any meaning.
“It's a directive that's clearly aimed at the LGBTQ+ community. Because I don't see any other projects being targeted,” Salazar said. “It's based out of homophobia. It's based out of fear. It's based on erasing a whole community.”
The crosswalk was installed in 2018 at Evergreen and Main Avenue using about $19,000 of community donations. A directive from TxDOT in October said it would withhold highway funding from the Texas cities if there were roadways with political or ideological markings.
The city had submitted its request to keep the crosswalk in early November saying the crosswalk improved safety. But in a letter dated November 25 from TxDOT, the state rejected it, according to Krista Cover, an attorney with the City of San Antonio.
“The city has responded to the state in writing, as required. In a letter of December 10, the city indicated that while we do contend the data supports the intersection being safer after the rainbow-colored crosswalk was installed, the city will, however, comply with TxDOT’s request to provide an alternative plan for removal,” she told the commission on Tuesday night.
The city does have an alternative plan, she added.
“The city will continue to recognize and support our LGBTQ+ community by installing rainbow colored sidewalk treatment one block north and one block south of the intersection,” Clover said.
District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur confirmed that the city would work towards making the rainbow painted sidewalks a reality.
“We're going to fund this. This is important to us, and ... if our office and some of the other Council offices have to support it, we will. But we've gotten a commitment from the city to execute on this,” she said.
Although the city has said it would remove the crosswalk, several groups including Pride San Antonio, have expressed their displeasure in the city not taking the fight further.
“Abbott is not using any kind of legal rationale. He's merely making threats to see how quickly we will make social change to fit his whims. The crosswalks are not a threat to any federal or state road or even to our community. Our city leaders must stand up to this capricious overreach or else threaten our home rule status,” said Pride San Antonio board member James Poindexter.
Full details on how or when the city would paint the sidewalks was not immediately clear. However, city staff said it would be open to additional feedback of other community suggestions.
