AUSTIN, Texas — The rainbow crosswalks of Fourth and Colorado streets will lose their color by the end of the month.
The city already covered multiple murals Thursday in compliance with Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to the Texas Department of Transportation. One Austin resident said they feel the change is unnecessary, and a misuse of the city’s already tight budget.
“We could be spending the money that we spend on removing this crosswalk on a million other things,” said Hya Zakite, an Austin drag performer and activist.
Austin District 9 Council Member Zo Qadri called the removals “political theatrics.”
“There’s so many issues in the state around infrastructure, around the grid, which has been well documented around public health,” Qadri said. “And he chooses his fights around these murals, these crosswalks. It says a lot about where he spends his time.”
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Mural at Fourth and Colorado Streets. (Photo: Jennifer Wang)
The removal process may be more expensive than some expect. Zakite witnessed the removal of San Antonio’s rainbow crosswalks.
“It’s not like they can just paint over it, because the paint will come back. It’s not like they can just scrape it off, because it is part of the asphalt,” Zakite said. “They’re going to have to remove large sections of the road and repave them on Fourth Street.”
While the exact cost is not yet known, Council Member Qadri said it would hit the city and its already tight budget.
“We’ve well documented the financial strain the city has, and now we have all this added expense because of the governor,” Qadri said.
Austin Transportation and Public Works said it will not be able to provide an accurate cost figure until all work is completed. CBS Austin will follow up with city officials as the project progresses.