SAN ANTONIO – The deadline for cities and counties across Texas to remove painted crosswalks is Friday, Nov. 7. That date is 30 days after the Oct. 8 order from Governor Abbott and TxDOT to comply with a federal directive to keep roadways safe.
The initial order for the removal of painted crosswalks came from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.
“Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork,” Duffy wrote.
The City of San Antonio has since drafted an exemption request to keep the rainbow crosswalk in place.
A letter from Assistant City Manager John Peterek cited available safety data that showed that the intersection of N. Main Ave and E. Evergreen St., where the rainbow crosswalk is located, is safer than a nearby crosswalk without rainbow painting.
“It serves as traffic calming and we have such a high need that we shouldn’t be removing infrastructure that’s functioning and safe,” Councilmember Teri Castillo said.
Seven of the ten city councilmembers offices replied to a request for comment on the crosswalk controversy.
Councilmembers Phyllis Viagran (D3) and Ric Galvan of (D6) both said no comment. The office of Councilmember Misty Spears (D9) did not reply to several email requests for comment.
“The pride crosswalk, to me, represents a symbol of visibility, of pride, of inclusion of our entire community,” Councilmember Ivalis Meza Gonzalez (D8) said.
Several council members are concerned about the true reasoning behind the order to remove the crosswalk.
“We know it’s not about public safety,” Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (D2) said. “We know it’s not about the interests of our constituents and so we have to fight.”
However, Councilmember Marc Whyte (D10) is not on the same page as his other colleagues who spoke about the topic.
“If it was solely my decision, I would say let’s just comply with what the Governor has asked, do away with the crosswalks and move forward,” Whyte said.
Councilmember Sukh Kaur (D1) said, “This is over $70 million of funding that they’re trying to withhold for this crosswalk and so we’ll do everything we can to protect the crosswalk.”
“The safety thing that they’re trying to get at is just a farce,” Councilmember Edward Mungia (D4) said. “I think they really are trying to target LGBT communities.”
The council’s exemption request cites the fact that “local residents, organizations, and businesses provided significant support and also raised money for crosswalks,” in addition to the safety data mentioned.
“I think for those that feel the need to express themselves in a way like this for their community, there are certainly other ways to do it,” Whyte said. “This is a very welcoming city. … But in terms of whether or not you need to express yourselves with a crosswalk, if it’s causing a public safety risk, again, we need to do away with it.”