CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Texas Department of Transportation has denied the City of Corpus Christi’s request for an exemption that would have allowed two decorative crosswalks to remain in place following a statewide directive from Gov. Greg Abbott requiring the removal of non-standard roadway markings.
According to a memo from the office of City Manager Peter Zanoni, TxDOT determined that the crosswalks at the Six Points intersection and at Twigg Street and Shoreline Boulevard do not comply with the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The ruling means the City must move forward with removing the crosswalks or risk losing state and federal transportation funding.
The denial follows an Oct. 8 order from Abbott directing TxDOT to enforce stricter roadway safety standards under the governor’s “Safe Roads Initiative.” The initiative prohibits pavement markings, symbols, or designs that do not directly support traffic control or safety, including decorative artwork and markings that could be considered distracting…