Posted on 11/17/2025 11:31:12 AM PST by Red Badger
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - City leaders learned at Tuesday’s Lubbock City Council meeting that the city’s iconic Buddy Holly crosswalks must be removed to comply with state and federal law, following a directive from Governor Abbott regarding all decorative markings statewide.
The Texas Department of Transportation provided clarification on Lubbock’s “creative crosswalks” and notified the city that the Buddy Holly-themed crosswalks will have to be removed.
City officials previously thought the crosswalks were safe since they were art installations and not considered a political, religious or commercial message. TxDOT notified the city Nov. 5 that this was not the case.
On October 8, Governor Abbott issued a directive.
“Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways.
“Today, I directed the Texas Department of Transportation to ensure Texas counties and cities remove any and all political ideologies from our streets. To keep Texans moving safely and free from distraction, we must maintain a safe and consistent transportation network across Texas. Any city that refuses to comply with the federal road standards will face consequences including the withholding or denial of state and federal road funding and suspension of agreements with TxDOT.”
TXDOT Executive Director Mark Williams wrote in a letter October 8 that all cities and counties must “remedy any non-compliant installations within 30 days” or face a loss of funding.
“On July 1, 2025, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the SAFE ROADS Initiative (Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and Distraction-Reducing Strategies),” Williams wrote. “The initiative emphasizes that intersections and crosswalks should be “kept free from distractions,” including political messages, artwork, or any other non-standard markings that may compromise safety. This aligns with longstanding FHWA guidance regarding colored pavement. See FHWA Interpretation Letter 3(09)-24(I) (2013)."
The crosswalks must be removed or a plan for removal must be submitted by Dec. 5. If city leaders delay action, federal and state funding could be withheld from the city.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE OCT. 23: Lubbock’s Buddy Holly crosswalks not affected by new Texas road standards
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Another horrible idea from recent decades — crosswalk “art.” Our San Fran Peninsula town made colorful geometric designs on a “T” intersection downtown. Instead of just the crosswalks, they did the entire intersection bounded by all three cross walks. It was so easily predictable that it would wear, get dirty and look awful. Sure enough, that’s what happened.
It’s obvious WAY too much tax money is collected if city people even THINK about this crap.
Our local town, Fort Walton Beach, FL, several years ago tried to spruce up the town intersections by painting them to look like fake brick pavement. They didn’t last a complete year before they were worn and faded...................
So screwed up. Misapplication of the old “you can’t have gum if you didn’t bring enough for everyone else” or “you can’t have gum because some damn fool threw his on the sidewalk and it stuck to my shoe” You can’t say anything about the favorite son of your city because every damn fool with an agenda wants to plaster his everywhere displaying his “equal rights”
We are a nation divided not just in two simple parts like in the first Civil War but split in so many desperate ways we will never be united again.
What a effed up world we live in.
Yep. Crosswalks should be crosswalks. You are spot on. Leftists just use this as a way to inject ideology into every damned thing under the sun...
Yeah, well how the heck are Buddy Holly artworks political?
buddy holly had to be gay... hanging with a guy called the big bopper and all...
/sarc
but if you put art in the road, expect road rage critiques.
Malicious compliance?
Because we can’t simply say were are sick of homosexuals and their LGBTQ propaganda, we must remove Buddy Holly from a cross-walk to have “equal treatment.”
homosexuals are agents of corruption for everything.
Undoubtedly a malicious directive from some leftist at DOT.
No Buddy glasses, no rainbows, no blm on our streets, sidewalks, and crosswalks.
Undoubtedly a malicious directive from some leftist at DOT.
Yep.
Anyone who rides a motorcycle appreciates removing ALL crosswalk “art.”
Yes, it’s SLICK!....................
One of the most beautiful towns I’ve ever visited was Oberammergau in Bavaria. Most of the houses had wildlife scenes and/or animals painted on the outside. Crosswalks were unpainted, as they should be.
Eliminate ALL of this, have one standard and use it everywhere, period.
No doubt replace it with a George Floyd one.
yuk, that serves no purpose. If someone doesn’t know Buddy was from Lubbock that’s not going to remind them.
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