Dallas’ first rainbow crosswalk will be removed later this month — not because of the state’s ban, but from city road maintenance.
The rainbow crosswalk at Oak Lawn Avenue and Cedar Springs Road will be removed the week of March 23 as part of ongoing resurfacing work, according to Tony Vedda, president of the North Texas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce.
Vedda, whose organization paid for the installation of 10 crosswalks in Oak Lawn in 2020, said the city notified them that the crosswalks would be removed as part of ongoing road resurfacing. But it still isn’t clear when the remaining crosswalks will be removed.
“It’s disappointing, but it’s encouraged us to think about other ways that we can highlight the community,” Vedda said. “It’s about showing that this area is and has always been welcoming to everyone, and we’ll find other ways to put rainbows on things.”
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Robyn Gerard, a city spokeswoman, had no update as of Friday on when the crosswalks would be removed. She said more information would likely be shared by the end of next week.
The city’s decision comes after its failed appeal of a Texas Department of Transportation ruling stating that Dallas could not keep its 30 customized crosswalks. TxDOT cited state rules requiring plain white markings.
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In late January, Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert informed state officials the city would remove its rainbow, Black Lives Matter and other decorative crosswalks within 90 days. The city didn’t immediately respond Friday to a request for comment.
Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the removal of decorative crosswalks statewide in October, calling them safety hazards and “distractions” that promote political messages. Advocates argue the crosswalks represent neighborhood pride. Cities that refused to comply risked losing state or federal transportation funding.
The installations in Dallas include 10 rainbow crosswalks in Oak Lawn, 16 Black Lives Matter crosswalks in South Dallas and four individualized art crosswalks in Uptown.
Vedda said the original installation of the rainbow crosswalks cost $128,250, funded by community contributions through the chamber foundation. It cost about $45,000 to reinstall them last June after they began to fade.
Meanwhile, local groups are finding new ways to show their pride. Oak Lawn United Methodist Church painted its front steps in rainbow colors, a decision supported by the Dallas Landmark Commission in January.