The removal comes after a directive issued by Gov. Greg Abbott last year. All of the crosswalks are expected to be replaced by April 28.

DALLAS — The city of Dallas is removing its rainbow-colored crosswalks beginning Monday, according to a city memo.

Dallas officials submitted a compliance plan to the Texas Department of Transportation in January, committing to conforming to 30 crosswalks in Dallas, as required by state mandate.

This comes after a directive by Gov. Greg Abbott issued on Oct. 8, meant to “prioritize uniformity and predictability in traffic control devices statewide,” according to the state. All the crosswalks are expected to be removed and replaced by April 28. This also includes Black Lives Matter crosswalks painted after the death of George Floyd. 

To some, the crosswalks are more than colorful concrete.

The Cedar Springs Merchant Association put out a statement on March 23, calling the crosswalks “our welcome mat, our public vow, and a daily, empowering symbol to every person who crossed them that here, you are safe, you are celebrated, and you are home.”

The statement continued: “Their removal is not an act done in the name of safety; it is a deliberate erasure of that visible promise. We see it for what it is. And our response is resolute, unwavering defiance. We are not retreating.”

Dallas officials are also looking into other ways to recognize neighborhood identity through community art initiatives, according to the memo.

The Office of Arts and Culture is trying to find alternatives to the rainbow crosswalks and will host a series of meetings to gather insight on neighborhood identity and potential projects for those impacted by the crosswalk removal.

Those meetings are scheduled for:

5:30 p.m. April 6 at Theater Three, 2688 Laclede St. #1205:30 p.m. April 8 at South Dallas Cultural Center, 3400 S. Fitzhugh Ave.5:30 p.m. April 10 at Reverchon Recreation Center, 3505 Maple Ave.

The association calls the removal of the crosswalks “not an ending, but a new beginning.”

In the meantime, Cedar Springs Merchant Association said in its statement that it is embarking on a collective campaign of “bold, permanent and undeniable visibility.”

The association will invest in legacy projects, such as art installations, enhanced lighting and permanent rainbow structures.

“They took crosswalks. But we will build monuments,” the association statement said. “They tried to fade us away. But we will shine blindingly bright.”