San Antonio’s rainbow crosswalk celebrates the LGBTQ+ history of the Main Strip. Credit: Sanford Nowlin
San Antonio will pursue a state exemption to avoid removing its rainbow crosswalk, as ordered under a recent dictate by Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Public Radio reports, citing comments from a city attorney.
As part of his continued crackdown on free speech, the Republican governor early this month threatened to withhold transportation funding from municipalities that don’t erase “political ideologies” from their streets.
At the time, Councilwoman Sukh Kaur, whose district includes the crosswalk, said she expected the city to seek an exception. Now, at a Monday meeting of the city’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Commission, First Assistant City Attorney Liz Provencio confirmed such a plan is in the works, according to TPR.
Provencio told commission members that a Texas Department of Transportation’s letter explaining the governor’s order noted exemptions may be available if municipalities can show painted messages on their streets benefit public safety, the news outlet reports.
To that end, city records show the number of traffic incidents at San Antonio’s rainbow crosswalk have declined since the colorful markings were applied in 2018, she added.
“That data indicated that there were two incidents that had occurred, and since the installation of the crosswalk, which will be going on … seven to eight years, in that entire time frame, we’ve had two (incidents) so there’s no indication that it’s made it any less safe,” Provencio said in an interview with TPR.
The city has until Nov. 8 to file its exemption. However, it’s unclear what timetable the state has to rule on it, TPR reports.
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