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Mayor Turner Directs Public Works Department to Repaint Houston’s Pride Crosswalks

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says he directed the Public Works Department to repaint the city’s Pride Crosswalks.

“I’m glad this project is moving quickly and I hope people will enjoy seeing the revitalized Pride Crosswalk[s] at Westheimer and Taft,” Turner told OutSmart in a statement Monday, June 11. “As mayor, I believe in diversity and inclusion, along with honoring our city’s rich cultures and communities. During the month of June, which is Pride Month, we will celebrate alongside our LGBTQ friends and family members. We are one Houston, and it’s important for everyone to feel included and welcome.”

Mayor Sylvester Turner

The repainting of the Pride Crosswalks, which began Friday, appeared to be mostly complete by Monday afternoon. The only exception was that the crosswalks contained two yellow stripes, rather than both orange and yellow stripes.

The Pride Crosswalks were installed in June 2017 by Pride Houston, at a cost of $15,000. They were originally set to be maintained by the Montrose Management District, an organization that has since dissolved.

The site of the crosswalks was chosen in memory of Alex Hill, a 21-year-old killed in the same intersection by a hit-and-run driver in January 2016. A traffic box mural nearby also honors Hill, showing him surrounded by friends with a rainbow sunburst in the background.

They remain the only Pride Crosswalks in the state, although San Antonio is set to install its own later this month.

Pride Houston has been raising money for a permanent installation of the crosswalks after the city completes its Lower Westheimer Project.

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