Houston Road Safety Project at Risk

Houston Mayor John Whitmire is threatening to derail a major road redesign project due to his recent opposition to vehicle lane reductions and bike infrastructure, reports Adam Zuvanich for Houston Public Media. “would rehabilitate the aging roadways, provide stormwater drainage improvements, bolster safety by reducing the incidence of fatal crashes and better accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and mass transit users.”

The $100 million Shepherd and Durham Major Investment Project, Zuvanich explains, “would rehabilitate the aging roadways, provide stormwater drainage improvements, bolster safety by reducing the incidence of fatal crashes and better accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and mass transit users,” according to a letter written by Whitmire himself years ago. Now, the mayor says he wants to see major changes to the design of the project that eliminate planned lane reductions.

Other city officials and local business owners question the decision, saying any delays put $40 million in federal funding in jeopardy. Additionally, killing the bike and pedestrian component of the project could have an impact on local businesses and pedestrian-oriented developments that have sprouted up since the project was announced. According to Ann Lents, the board chair for the Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority, “[Independently completed traffic] reports concluded that the new design is not just appropriate for current traffic but for traffic in the future. The project is designed to encourage and support economic growth and development along the corridor – which we've seen explode since the project was announced.”