Austin is moving to remove roadway art, including painted crosswalks and street art, in response to a state mandate. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has ordered the removal of non-compliant roadway markings, citing safety concerns.

Background

The national Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and Distraction-Reducing Strategies (SAFE ROADS) initiative was presented by the Department of Transportation last year. The initiative aims to keep distractions like art and political messaging off roadways.

TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams stated that markings promoting a message that don’t directly support traffic control or safety could cause confusion and impact navigation for human drivers and autonomous vehicles.

Local Impact

In Austin, more than a dozen installations were identified for removal, including rainbow-painted crosswalks in downtown’s historic LGBTQ district and the ‘Black Artists Matter’ painting in the African American Cultural Heritage District.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has expressed opposition to the mandate, calling it a ‘divisive waste of time.’ However, the city is complying to avoid losing hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal funding.

The city’s transportation department had requested exemptions from TxDOT’s mandate, citing data that showed few crashes were reported in the locations where the artwork was installed. However, TxDOT denied the request, and the city is now moving forward with the removal of the artwork.

Next Steps

The city is planning to establish a resident body to recommend ways to commemorate some of the impacted markings. The Public Spaces Task Force was formed last year to explore alternative ways to display the artwork.

Community members have already contributed to a new mural painting near the Fourth and Colorado crosswalks, and a long-anticipated LGBTQ historical marker will also be placed in the area later this summer.

Original reporting: Community Impact — Austin — read the source article.