Traditions around the state involving high schools – including Mineola – are being challenged by the Texas Dept. of Transportation.

For at least 54 years, graduating seniors have made their mark on W. Patten St., painting a mural on the street to celebrate graduation.

But TxDOT is claiming the commemorative artworks violate state policies concerning traffic controls and markings.

As a result, the city has been ordered to clean the street, which currently features about 15 years worth of murals on the incline heading east from the school, dubbed as “Senior Hill.”

The order doesn’t sit well with Mayor Jayne Lankford, who says she was among those who started that tradition.

She said it began shortly after Mineola High School was built on W. Patten in 1969, prior to which there was not a W. Patten St. or a highway loop around Mineola, which serves as the terminus for Patten where it abuts the Mineola County Club.

Lankford is writing a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to appeal the decision, which was handed down by Marc Williams, executive director of TxDOT. The process began last summer and raised awareness when crosswalks painted in rainbow colors were called into question as being nonconforming and unsafe.

Area cities were notified by Vernon Webb, the Tyler district engineer, in an email on Oct. 8 concerning Williams’ order that “Local jurisdictions must remedy any non-compliant installations within 30 days.”

In a followup sent Dec. 5, Webb wrote, “Any existing non-conforming pavement markings must be removed or remedied as quickly as possible.”

A planned course of action and ballpark date for completion were requested.

In Williams’ letter, he wrote, “Failure to comply may result in  withholding or denial of state or federal funding,  suspension of agreements between TxDOT and the local jurisdiction, required removal or modification of non-compliant markings on roads that  are part of the state highway system or funded through TxDOT-administered programs.”

Lankford said the city does not possess the manpower or the equipment to meet the request, and said that any cleaning method, such as power washing, could damage the street. The alternative, repaving, would be expensive and also require equipment the city does not possess.

She said other civic leaders share her concern and will also be contacting officials such as State Rep. Cole Hefner about the matter.

Lankford said she is unsure the senior murals are a safety hazard.

Most of the traffic on W. Patten is school traffic, she said.

That section of street has no crosswalks or intersections and is a 25 mile-per-hour school zone during weekdays.

“It’s just innocent fun,” she said, adding that she didn’t think that is the type of thing that Duffy intended to target.

Although Patten is a city street and not under direct state jurisdiction, TxDOT claims local authorities must comply with the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which requires uniformity in traffic control devices and authorizes TxDOT to oversee compliance on public roadways.