Two Kentucky cities remain committed to keeping their rainbow crosswalks despite the Trump administration’s effort to wipe the prideful traffic displays from the nation’s streets.

Both Lexington and Covington have rainbow crosswalks in their respective gayborhoods connecting many of their LGBTQ+ centered spaces. These include Rosie’s Tavern and Bar 32 in Covington, and near Crossings and Lussi Brown Coffee Bar in Lexington.

In July, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, a Trump appointee, directed state transportation departments to work with city officials to identify roadways with “distractions” and report their findings to the Federal Highway Administration within 60 days. 

Duffy said in a post on X that “taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks. Political banners have no place on public roads.” He also suggested that states that fail to apply the directive to federally funded state roads could risk losing that funding.

Gov. Andy Beshear’s Communications Director Scottie Ellis told Queer Kentucky that the transportation cabinet is not aware of any such crosswalks on state roads.

“If any city or town created crosswalks like these to support or lift up their residents, Gov. Andy Beshear supports their locally controlled decision,” she said.

City roads are managed by the local city government to serve the immediate community, while state roads are managed by the state’s Department of Transportation to connect larger areas, cities and other major routes.

Lexington’s crosswalks at the intersection of Limestone and Short Streets were painted in 2017 to celebrate Pride and were the first of their kind in Kentucky. In 2021, Lexington repaved the road, and the crosswalks were repainted with “a brighter design.”

The Lexington Herald Leader reported that Federal Highway Administration directives had flagged, but later dropped, traffic safety concerns following the original artwork.

The City of Lexington’s Deputy Director of Communications and Community Outreach Liaison Craig Cammack, said the city doesn’t have plans to cover their sidewalks.

“We were careful to use a design that didn’t cause traffic concerns,” he said. “We feel it meets federal crosswalk requirements.”

Covington’s rainbow crosswalks were installed by volunteers in 2019 during Pride Month to commemorate the 10th anniversary of NKY Pride and celebrate the city’s vibrant LGBTQ+ culture and progressive ideals. In 2003, Covington became the third city in the state to pass a fairness ordinance.

The City of Covington’s Communications Manager Dan Wohler said that the city hasn’t received any directives regarding changes to crosswalk. 

“At this time, the city has no plans to modify or alter the crosswalks at the corner of Bakewell and 7th Streets, or at any other locations throughout Covington,” he said.

One month before the Trump administration’s directive to all 50 states, the Florida Department of Transportation issued a memo banning crosswalk markings and pavement art tied to “social, political or ideological messages” that do not serve a traffic-control purpose.

In August, Florida officials painted over a rainbow crosswalk in Orlando that was part of the PULSE Memorial. The memorial honored the 49 people fatally shot by a gunman at the Pulse LGBTQ nightclub in 2016.