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Lubbock to remove or modify decorative crosswalks after TxDOT interpretation of pavement-marking rules
Summary
City staff told the City Council that an Oct. 8 TxDOT letter interprets state pavement-marking rules to prohibit artwork in the roadway and requires cities to remove nonconforming markings or submit removal plans within 30 days; the city will comply and integrate removal into routine maintenance to avoid funding risks.
The Lubbock City Council heard on Nov. 11 that the Texas Department of Transportation has interpreted its pavement-marking guidance to bar artistic symbology on public roadways, and city staff said the city will remove or modify decorative crosswalks to comply.
Interim Public Works Director David Bragg told council members that TxDOT's Oct. 8 letter references Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's memo and restricts pavement markings to traffic functions. Bragg said the letter warned that failure to comply could lead to withholding or denial of state or federal funding and that cities must either remove nonconforming markings or submit a removal plan within 30 days. "It states that roads are for safety, not for political messages or artworks," Bragg said, summarizing the state guidance.
Bragg reviewed Lubbock's decorative crosswalks'history, noting installations including the Buddy Holly glasses (2020), polka dots near Buddy Holly Hall (2021) and the Mesquite Mile (2023). He said the TMUTCD (Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) allows nonreflective artistic surfaces only when the required marked crosswalk lines remain visible and that the city adopted a local crosswalk policy in February 2025 to permit community installations that meet ADA and content limits.
After receiving TxDOT's letter, Bragg said staff sought clarification and were told brick pavers already installed may qualify for an exemption if the city provides a signed, sealed traffic-engineer certification that the installation meets safety guidance. For other decorative markings, Bragg said the city notified the Textile District on Nov. 5 that the decorative crosswalks will be removed and that removals will be handled through routine maintenance schedules. The city manager added that the cost of removal is the city's responsibility and that two of the existing installations coincide with planned maintenance projects, reducing immediate extra cost.
Council members asked whether markings on private driveways, school mascots on private property, or painted street names would be affected; staff said the TxDOT interpretation applies to public streets and right-of-way only and does not prohibit private-property decorations. Mayor Pro Tem and others urged staff to pursue further clarification and potential exemptions from TxDOT. Staff said they will continue to seek guidance and that the city will comply in the interim to protect potential MPO and other state or federal funding.
The council did not vote on a specific action on Nov. 11; staff said removals would be incorporated into scheduled maintenance and that the city would pursue any available exemptions through documentation from qualified traffic engineers.
