New directive by Gov. Abbott could mean end of Downtown El Paso rainbow walk

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- When you walk on Missouri and Stanton you may see rainbow crosswalks and bike lanes, but those paintings may soon be removed.

Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Department of Transportation to remove "all political ideologies from our streets." The directive goes on to say, "Under federal and state guidelines for roadway safety, non-standard surface markings, signage, and signals that do not directly support traffic control or safety are strictly prohibited, including the use of symbols, flags, or other markings conveying social, political, or ideological messages."

ABC-7 reached out to TXDOT El Paso who then directed us to their Austin office, who then sent us a letter that was sent by TXDOT to all cities and counties. The letter cited the SAFE roads initiative that announced by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on July 1, 2025. The initiative says that all intersections and crosswalks must be "free from distraction." That includes artwork and political messages.