Houston to Make a Car-Free Downtown Corridor Permanent

“Houston is finally tackling its walkability issue head-on” by transforming a seven-block portion of downtown’s Main Street into a car-free corridor, according to an article in Chron. Renee Yan reports the project, called “More Space: Mainstreet 2.0,” is in its final design and engineering phase and will likely break ground next year. In addition to lighting, stormwater, and aesthetic improvements, the street will be raised so it is level with the sidewalk. Work is expected to be completed in time for Houston to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.

The project was inspired by an initiative the city undertook in 2021 to support local businesses during the pandemic. Chron previously reported that “[t]he city launched it as a pilot program to restrict car traffic and allow restaurants and bars to create gathering spaces along Main Street.” The program was very popular with residents and business owners, so after it expired in 2023, the city council voted unanimously to make it permanent.

Houston isn’t the only city to make pandemic-era car-free street projects permanent after positive reaction from the public and boosts to local restaurants. Other places in the U.S. that have done so include San Francisco’s John F. Kennedy Drive; 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens; multiple streets in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District in New York City; California Ave in Palo Alto.