TxDOT letter forces Lubbock to remove decorative crosswalk art; city will comply during maintenance
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Summary
A TxDOT interpretation sent Oct. 8 told municipalities to remove artwork from public roadways or submit a removal plan; Lubbock staff told council they will remove decorative crosswalk markings during scheduled maintenance to avoid possible loss of state or federal funds.
Lubbock's interim public works director, David Bragg, told the City Council on Nov. 11 that a TxDOT letter dated Oct. 8 requires removal of artistic pavement markings in the public right of way unless a removal plan is submitted or an exemption is approved. Bragg said the letter's wording effectively prohibited artwork in travel lanes, shoulders, intersections and crosswalks and warned that failure to comply could jeopardize state or federal funding.
Bragg traced the issue to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and the state's Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (TMUTCD). He said the city's existing decorative crosswalks'including the Buddy Holly glasses installed downtown in 2020, polka dots near Buddy Holly Hall (2021) and the Mesquite Mile (2023)'were installed with marked crosswalk lines and previously considered acceptable under TMUTCD guidance for non-reflective artistic surfaces between crosswalk lines. "The wording of this letter prohibited any artistic symbology on the roadway," Bragg said during his presentation.
City staff said TxDOT later clarified that certain brick paver installations may be acceptable but that requests for exemption require a signed, sealed engineering statement certifying compliance with Transportation Secretary Duffy's Safe Roads initiative. Bragg described that initiative as emphasizing that roads are for safety and should be kept free of distractions. "In order to request exemption to this mandate, we have to submit a signed and sealed document from a traffic engineer," he said.
The council asked about examples such as school mascots or street-name art. Staff said markings inside private property or on campus drives are not affected; the TxDOT interpretation applies to public streets and the right of way. City Manager (unnamed in the transcript) told council the cost of removal will fall on the city and that the work will be handled as part of scheduled maintenance projects when feasible. "We will comply," the City Manager said, noting that one crosswalk removal can be rolled into a street maintenance project already planned for next year.
Councilmembers expressed disappointment and asked whether the city could pursue legal or administrative challenges; staff said the letter appeared broadly written and that the city's best immediate option was to comply while seeking clearer guidance from TxDOT.
What happens next: the city has notified TxDOT and will either remove affected markings during routine maintenance or seek engineer-signed exemptions where appropriate. Staff said they will also watch for any changes to state guidance that could allow more creative treatments in the future.
