Texas Orders Dallas to Remove Rainbow Crosswalks by Month's End, Citing Safety Standards

The Texas Department of Transportation rejected Dallas's exemption request on January 16, 2026, ordering the city to submit a removal plan by January 31 or face potential withholding of state and federal transportation funding. The decision culminates a conflict that began on October 8, 2025, when Governor Greg Abbott directed TxDOT to enforce federal and state roadway safety standards, ordering cities to remove non-standard surface markings conveying political or ideological messages.

Dallas submitted an exemption request in November 2025, arguing that the Oak Lawn rainbow crosswalks were privately funded, posed no safety risk, and represented protected self-expression. TxDOT rejected the request, citing the city's failure to provide a signed and sealed document from a licensed traffic engineer certifying the markings are safe and noting that the markings do not meet the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices requirements.

The removal order extends beyond rainbow crosswalks. Dallas must also remove Black Lives Matter crosswalks on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and other nonconforming markings, including patterned crosswalks in Uptown and SMU Mustang crosswalks in University Park.

City Councilman Paul Ridley, who represents Oak Lawn, has challenged the state's safety justifications. He cited a national survey by Bloomberg indicating that traffic accidents actually decline substantially at crosswalks painted in non-standard fashion, arguing there is no factual basis for labeling these markings as safety risks. State Representative Venton Jones, D-Dallas, criticized the directive as a distraction from pressing issues including the economy, healthcare, and housing affordability.

LGBTQ+ advocates have framed the removal as targeting queer visibility. Tony Vedda, CEO of the LGBTQ Chamber, stated: "The forced removal of the rainbow crosswalks is an intentional act of erasure, plain and simple. These crosswalks were never a safety issue. They were 100 percent privately funded and used NO tax dollars for the installation. The crosswalks are being targeted because they represent LGBTQ+ visibility in a state that continues to politicize our existence." Kevin Miller, president of the Cedar Springs Merchants Association, noted that the crosswalks have become a recognizable feature of the neighborhood and help reinforce its identity as a welcoming destination.

Dallas is among the last major Texas cities resisting compliance. Houston removed a rainbow crosswalk in its Montrose neighborhood in October 2025, while Austin and San Antonio have also cleared their rainbow roads.

Some organizations are pursuing workarounds. Oak Lawn United Methodist Church recently painted its front steps in rainbow colors—a move that falls outside TxDOT's jurisdiction because the steps sit on private, historic property under the jurisdiction of the Dallas Landmark Commission. Dallas's city attorney's office is reviewing the decision to determine whether to appeal or submit a new exemption request with proper engineering certification by the January 31 deadline.