The end of the rainbow: Montrose ‘Pride’ crosswalk removed under state deadline

HOUSTON (KIAH) – Monday morning, crews with METRO quietly covered up the rainbow-painted crosswalk at the intersection of Westheimer Road and Taft Street in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood, a symbol that since 2017 has stood for both safety and LGBTQ+ visibility.

For hours, the roadways surrounding that intersection were closed off to traffic. The majority of the work was done during morning rush hour. The job was finished around 11:20 am. However, the job started in the overnight hours around 2:00am, protesters stood side by side and chanted “Whose street, our street,” blocking workers and police from starting the crosswalk cover up.

“I hate being so powerless, and there’s nothing we can do to change this,” said Johnny Forte, Montrose resident.

The move comes from an Oct. 8 directive from Gov. Greg Abbott, who told cities to do away with any roadway markings, signage, or symbols that convey a “social, political, or ideological message.”  According to the directive, non-standard pavement markings that do not serve a direct traffic-control or safety purpose may be out of compliance with federal and state roadway standards, and jurisdictions that don’t act risk losing state and federal transportation funding.

“This is freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and it’s getting pushed down,” said Chris Ordonze, Montrose resident.

Keeping the crosswalk would have had repercussions on the city and residents by not removing the markings in time; Houston risked forfeiting millions of dollars in state and federal transportation assistance. Residents and activists view the removal as an erasure of LGBTQ+ visibility and neighborhood identity. Some say the city’s handling lacked transparency. City officials and councilmembers are discussing legal options, arguing the directive may intrude on local control and First Amendment rights.  

“I am deeply disappointed by the decision to remove Texas’ first Pride crosswalk, a symbol of safety, unity, equality, and respect in historic Montrose. Local communities — not state or federal pressure — should decide how we honor our values. Harris County will continue partnering with residents to ensure our shared spaces welcome and respect everyone and celebrate our diversity. They can remove paint from a street, but they can never erase Houston’s pride,” said Lesley Briones, Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner.

In 2017, community groups and city partners installed the colorful “pride” crosswalk at the intersection of Westheimer Road and Taft Street to honor someone who was killed in a hit-and-run accident.

The vibrant stripes did more than commemorate; they also served as a traffic-safety measure by making the pedestrian crossing more visible. Residents embraced the crosswalk as part of Montrose’s identity, a visual marker of the neighborhood’s longstanding LGBTQ+ community and history.

“The state’s crackdown on beloved community art shows that they are willing to go further and further in limiting free speech and free expression,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement. “The rainbow crosswalk in Montrose was originally painted as a memorial, and nothing about it symbolized discrimination or the harming of other communities.

“I, for one, don’t understand why METRO was so quick to remove the crosswalk when the state gave them 30 days before we had to take action. METRO could have requested an exemption from the state’s policy or taken legal action before removing art and a symbol that was so important to our community. METRO reports to a board of directors, but the board did not have input on this. The community deserves to know who made the final decision to remove the crosswalk, why the decision was not put up for a board vote and what other options we could have pursued instead of instant removal. Harris County will continue to support the LGBT+ community and all communities.”

Despite the removal of the Pride crosswalk, city leaders leaned in, wanting to speak with LGBTQ organizations to see where a possible rainbow flag can be erected without breaking any laws.