The Buddy Holly memorial crosswalk in Lubbock, Texas, has been ordered to be removed as the government cracks down on artwork on the road for safety reasons.
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Buddy Holly is a name that needn’t be introduced. His music and his untimely death persist in the thoughts of music-lovers even today. Many in Lubbock are reminded about the legendary musician every day, however, thanks to his memorial.
The musician grew up in Lubbock, and attended school there. Not to mention his early career involved a lot of gigs in his hometown. To commemorate the singer, the crosswalk at the intersection of 18th Street and Buddy Holly Avenue next to the Buddy Holly Center were repainted to showcase his iconic glasses.
His memorial is not only a nice tribute to Buddy Holly, but has also been an iconic and classy memorial. Governor Greg Abbott, however, has ordered the memorial to be removed.
Per Chron, in a city council meeting on November 11, David Bragg, Lubbock’s interim Director of Public Works, explained why they are moving to remove the memorial.
Bragg said, “The state and federal mandates are saying that we cannot have any artwork on the roadways.”
“So on Nov. 5 of this year, we notified the TxDOT district that the decorative crosswalks will be removed.”
Buddy Holly Memorial To Be Removed Alongside Other Road Art Works
Per the Associated Press, the Lubbock government has made this move to comply with Donald Trump’s directive to remove political messages and artwork from the roads.
The Buddy Holly memorial was painted in 2020, but it may only survive to see 2026.
The powers that be are trying to scrub the roads from “distracting” artwork, to keep the roads as safe as possible. Or, at least, that’s what they’re going with.
“It’s such a tasteful cross section and people like it. But what do you do?” questioned City Council Member Christy Martinez-Garcia.
Apparently, Lubbock received a letter from the Texas Department of Transportation that contained “some harsh wording” about the removal of the memorial, with threats about state or federal funding being issued.
“This was very broad letter. I don’t think it was intended to go after, say, the Buddy Holly glasses. Unfortunately it did,” said Bragg.
Everyone may not like this change, but what can you do when the federal government is breathing down your back?