Austin says it will comply with Abbott order on crosswalks and streets

• The state move aligns with the Trump administration's push to ban such displays nationwide, saying they can make roads unsafe by distracting drivers.

Driving the news: Cities and counties have 30 days to remove "non-compliant installations" on streets or risk losing state and federal transportation funding and partnerships, according to a letter Texas Department of Transportation executive director Marc Williams sent to cities and counties Wednesday that was obtained by Axios.

• "Pavement markings such as decorative crosswalks, murals, or markings conveying artwork or other messages are prohibited on travel lanes, shoulders, intersections, and crosswalks unless they serve a direct traffic control or safety function," Williams wrote in the letter.

What they're saying: "The city is aware of the new directive and will comply with updated guidelines," David Ochsner, a city of Austin spokesperson, tells Axios.

Zoom in: In 2020, Austin authorized the painting in massive letters of "Black Artists Matter" on East 11th Street.

• And in 2021, city officials unveiled rainbow crosswalks at Fourth and Colorado streets for National Coming Out Day.
• Both those installations still exist — as of now.

"Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways," Abbott had said in a press statement.

Between the lines: Abbott did not mention rainbow crosswalks like ones in Houston, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio, though they have long been targeted by anti-LGBTQ+ conservatives.

The other side: "It's really sad to see that they're aggressively trying to push and basically erase LGBT people from visibility," Jon Wong, who was visiting Austin from Washington D.C. for Pride activities, told KXAN in August, following a demand from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that artwork or political messages be removed from roadways nationally.