Real Estate Photographer in Elgin, TX

The city of Elgin just completed its Crosswalk Unity project, which consists of artwork and murals in the heart of downtown.

ELGIN, Texas — Texas cities and counties were hit with a looming deadline after the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) said they have 30 days to remove colorful displays on intersections and crosswalks or risk losing state or federal funding under directive from Gov. Greg Abbott.

The news comes as the city of Elgin just put fresh paint on their streets. But one of the artists on the project said the art display focuses on safety for kids.

"If you look at the stats, street art does make drivers more aware of the situation that they're coming to," artist Megan Stuart said.

A 2022 study from Bloomberg Philanthropies looked at crashes and behavior tied to artwork in 17 cities, including Miami, New York and Atlanta. It showed the average crash rate near the displays was roughly 17% lower.

Elgin started the Crosswalk Unity project near Veterans Memorial Park. The project was funded through a $60,000 grant with the process started on Oct. 11, and by the 15th, the paint should be officially dry.

Stuart said it was a group of eight paid artists along with volunteers who made the artwork possible.

"What we wanted to do was to bring all the different cultures, facets of Elgin, together and represent them in the murals that we have done here," Stuart said.

TXDOT's letter went out around the same time the project started, but Stuart said they decided to go forward with it anyway.

"This is all about safety for the kids crossing the streets through the intersections to get to our new playground. That was the main focus of the project to begin with," Stuart said. "We're hoping that's OK with the governor."

Business owners near the crosswalks said they believe the artwork will slow down traffic.

"This area gets a lot of traffic locally, and so, having [the artwork] here, I think it adds something to the area," Zed James said. "I like the creative expression of using things like crosswalks to both be functional and creative at the same time."

The city of Elgin sent the following statement to KVUE:

The City of Elgin was awarded a grant from GM on Main in April of this year for the Crosswalk of Unity Project. The project is intended to enhance public safety, promote community unity, and enhance public space appeal. We have reached out to TXDOT to ensure that our project can move forward as planned.

KVUE reached out to TxDOT regarding the project in Elgin. TxDOT said the city of Elgin did reach out regarding the project and referred KVUE to a letter that was sent to city and county leaders on Oct. 8, stating that any pavement markings such as decorative crosswalks, murals or other messages are prohibited, and that they will have 30 days to comply with the rules.

In Austin, Mayor Kirk Watson released a message on the city council's message board, acknowledging the concern over losing the artwork across the city and saying the city will lost "hundreds of millions of dollars" if it doesn't comply. Currently, the Austin Transportation and Public Works has $175 million in state and federal grant funding.

"With all the needs we have in this state, it's disappointing and a waste of time to be talking about this. Austin will comply with state law and we'll demonstrate our love for all Austinites in other ways. We have a lot of pride. We'll live it and we'll show it," Watson wrote.

The mayor proposed searching for alternatives for Austinites to have artistic expression in the city and threw out potential ideas such as banners, painting the sidewalks and permanent fixtures on city-owned property.

Local LGBTQ+ activist Brigette Bandit has started a petition online, pushing city leaders to fight the order from the governor and TXDOT.

There are roughly 16 markings that could apply to the order, according to the mayor.

KVUE reached out to the city for that list. A spokesperson released the following statement:

"The City is working on compiling a list of locations that will be subject to change based on the directive in the TxDOT letter. We can confirm art installations currently in place include the “Black Artists Matter” painting on East 11th Street, the rainbow crosswalk on Fourth Street and the “Texas” painting on Guadalupe Street."

Elgin residents just got a taste of something special—homemade popcorn made with big flavor.

The details

Popcorn Love in Elgin offers a variety of gourmet popcorn with sweet, savory and classic flavors.

“We were looking for an opportunity or a business to start, so we started doing festivals such as the Hogeye Festival and the Juneteenth Festival in Elgin,” Leroy Hargrove, who owns Popcorn Love with his wife Tometra, told Community Impact.

He called their storefront—which offers discounts for veterans and law enforcement officers—on N. Main Street the “perfect location.”

“It’s right there on the corner of Main Street and Depot Street across from the park where all the action happens, so we thought it was a no-brainer,” Hargrove said. “We put the money down for the lease, and we’ve been open for going on a third week now.”

The community, he emphasized, has been incredibly welcoming.

“We have a greenery wall inside the shop, so everyone is willing to take pictures and post it on social media, and they allow us to take their pictures and post it on social media,” Hargrove said.

The approach

The process of establishing Popcorn Love began with the need to purchase a kettle corn machine—a piece of equipment the Hargroves sourced from a seller in the Arlington area.

“When we took it back home, I burnt about four or five batches trying to figure it out,” Hargrove said. “But I finally got the measurements, temperature and everything down, and we’ve been going ever since.”

From buttery movie-style popcorn to bold blends like caramel apple, Texas heat and jalapeño cheddar options, Hargrove highlighted that there’s something for every kind of snacker at Popcorn Love.

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