Lubbock — City staff told the City Council on Nov. 11 that a Texas Department of Transportation letter has effectively banned artistic roadway markings on city streets unless the city obtains a signed and sealed traffic‑engineering exemption.

Interim Public Works Director David Bragg said the Oct. 8 TxDOT notice interprets Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s Safe Roads memo as requiring that pavement markings in travel lanes, shoulders, intersections and crosswalks serve only traffic purposes. “The wording of this letter prohibited any artwork in crosswalks or any other portion of the roadway,” Bragg said during a work session presentation.

The city has three decorative crosswalk installations — the Buddy Holly glasses downtown, polka dots at Mac Davis Lane and a Mesquite Mile pattern at 23rd Street and Avenue V — that were originally installed following the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (TMUTCD) guidance allowing non‑reflective artistic surfacing between crosswalk lines. Bragg said TxDOT clarified that brick pavers integrated as crosswalk surfacing are acceptable, but most applied artwork in the roadway right‑of‑way is not.

City Manager (unnamed) told council the city had informed TxDOT on Nov. 5 that it will remove the decorative markings or provide a plan to remove them within 30 days to avoid potential withholding of state or federal funding. "That could affect possible MPO funding in the future," Bragg said of the funding risk.

Councilmembers asked whether school mascots, street names painted as wayfinding, or artwork in designated arts districts would be targeted; staff said the directive applies only to public streets and not to private driveways or on‑property installations. Staff also said the city will bear removal costs as part of scheduled maintenance projects when feasible.

Mayor Pro Tem and others raised free‑speech concerns after an exchange about political messages such as LGBTQ or Black Lives Matter being covered by the guidance; staff said the TxDOT letter references the secretary’s memo on political messaging but does not list specific prohibited messages. City leaders said they will comply for now while seeking clearer guidance from the state.

The council did not take action beyond receiving the briefing; staff said removals will be incorporated into routine maintenance projects and that the city will pursue clarification or exemption procedures when possible.